The Copper Mark is the leading assurance framework to promote responsible practices across the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc value chains. We work with companies and organisations throughout these metals’ value chains to enable them to better understand and meet the increasing demands for independently verified responsible practices, and to contribute positively to sustainable development.

The Copper Mark organisation administers the following standards using the Copper Mark Assurance Process.

• The Copper Mark Criteria for Responsible Production / Risk Readiness Assessment Criteria Guide, v. 3
• The Joint Due Diligence Standard for Copper, Lead, Molybdenum, Nickel and Zinc
• The Copper Mark Chain of Custody Standard

The Copper Mark organisation is one of the four partners developing a global mining standard through the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI).

Other standards under development:

• Midstream Standard
• Battery Regulation Compliance Top-off Module

The Copper Mark is registered in the UK as a company limited by guarantee. It is governed by an independent Board of Directors, comprised of equal representation between industry and non-industry and its Advisory Council which includes non-industry stakeholders representing labour, Indigenous Peoples, civil society and other stakeholders. The current members of the Copper Mark’s Board of Directors and Advisory Council are listed here. The current members of the Copper Mark Board Directors and Advisory Council are listed here.

Participating sites are assessed against 33 responsible production criteria. The criteria are defined by the Risk Readiness Assessment Criteria Guide, v.3 (RRA). The RRA covers the core expectations for responsible production, sourcing, and recycling across all major environmental, social and governance issue areas. Once the participating site demonstrates, through an independent third-party assessment, that they fully or partially meet the 33 criteria, they are awarded the Copper Mark, Molybdenum Mark, Nickel Mark and / or Zinc Mark. For any areas that are partially met, the site must implement and be independently assessed against an improvement plan. The site must fully meet all criteria within 24 months of signing up.

The Joint Due Diligence Standard for Copper, Lead, Molybdenum, Nickel and Zinc, assured by the Copper Mark, is an approved Track A standard for the LME. Sites that receive one of the metal marks are able to meet all LME Responsible Sourcing Requirements through their participation in the assurance framework, including the expectations on environmental as well as health and safety management systems.

The minerals and metals industry benefits from having a framework that is specifically developed for the unique and specific challenges it faces. However, the Copper Mark takes a pragmatic approach to recognition and equivalence. If companies are already adhering to another internationally recognized standard, the Copper Mark uses its Recognition Process to determine the extent to which the participant may use this standard to reduce the scope of the independent third-party assessment.

The Copper Mark Assurance Process requires that all applicable criteria are independently assessed at the site level.

Participants may consult the Copper Mark’s website here or contact the Copper Mark to learn which other standards are recognized as equivalent by the Copper Mark.

Currently the Copper Mark Assurance Process is available to copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc producers. Production means more than just mining. For us, production refers to the handling and processing of metals at every point in their value chains. The scope of an assessment includes operations that are located in one geographic area and are operated under one management system.

To be eligible to make Copper Mark-related claims, sites must produce one or more of the four principal covered metals or metal products (copper, molybdenum, nickel, and / or zinc). Multi-metal producers, who might also produce other mineral or metal products, are eligible as well.

The Joint Due Diligence Standard is available to sites upstream sites producing copper, lead, molybdenum, nickel, and/or zinc and their byproducts.

Currently, the Chain of Custody Standard is only available to eligible sites along the copper value chain.

Downstream organisations in mineral and metal value chains may join as Copper Mark Partners.

Copper plays a critical role in the transition to clean energy as it is used in batteries, solar power, wind power, clean mobility, and electronic grids.

The Copper Mark does not provide a low-carbon copper product. However, through the Risk Readiness Assessment Criteria, the Copper Mark assesses copper producers against a number of criteria related to climate risk. Among others, criteria 15: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and 16: Energy Consumption are directly relevant.

The Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) is a collaboration between the Copper Mark, International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and World Gold Council (WGC) to consolidate their four responsible mining standards into one global standard,  designed to reduce complexity and clarify responsible practices for mining companies of all sizes, across all locations and commodities. Visit the CMSI website for more information and subscribe to the CMSI newsletter to follow the developments.

The Copper Mark organisation will evolve to serve as the secretariat for the new consolidated mining standard and assurance process as developed through the CMSI. This will build on the Copper Mark’s established standards and assurance foundation across mineral and metal value chains.

As part of the CMSI process, we developed a new governance model that will govern the evolved Copper Mark organization and all its activities, including the consolidated mining standard. The governance model will comprise a 17-member Board of Directors, led by an Independent Chair, and is designed to balance participation across companies and stakeholder groups spanning mining and value chain activities. Learn more about the new governance model.