In February 2020, in partnership with its member companies, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) submitted a proposal to the UN Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) for the post-2020 framework in the mainstreaming of biodiversity into industrial sectors.
As an ICMM member company, Polyus was directly involved in preparing these proposals and supports their wider dissemination. As a business that relies on the services land and ecosystems offer, Polyus fully recognises the role the mining industry has to play in conserving biodiversity, and supports the efforts of the CBD to establish a post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
ICMM’s proposal to the CBD calls for the post-2020 framework to build on established good practice, noting that much progress as been made in mainstreaming biodiversity in the mining sector over the last decades. The proposal asserts the need for pragmatic and effective indicators, accounting frameworks and valuation methods for the demonstration of progress, and maintains that respect of community rights is key when developing biodiversity risk mitigation strategies.
In addition, the group has identified actions governments could consider to support the delivery of good practice by the mining industry, including collaborating with businesses, active engagement with the mining industry around consistent and effective policy, and the enforcement of robust minimum requirements to encourage business integrity and best practice.
More information on the industry group’s submission to the CBD is available on ICMM’s website http://www.icmm.com/website/publications/pdfs/biodiversity/icmm_submission-cbd-post-2020-framework-on-mainstreaming.pdf