The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) has introduced a new standard, the Water Stewardship Protocol, as part of its Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative. This protocol will play an important role in the continuous improvement taking place in the mining industry regarding sustainable practices.

A significant component of TSM, a MAC-led programme committed to sustainability in the mining sector, is ensuring that mining operations take environmental impacts into consideration.

The new Water Stewardship Protocol will further enhance the TSM initiative to ensure that it continues to drive environmental performance across a range of critical areas.

“TSM’s new Water Stewardship Protocol will help our sector focus its leadership in water conservation, not just as it relates to how mines manage their water use but on how we can contribute to broader watershed-scale stewardship,” says MAC president and CEO Pierre Gratton.

“We understand that, given the finite nature of water as a resource, our industry has an important role to play in its stewardship, and this protocol gives our members the tools to do just that.”

The new protocol was heavily influenced by the International Council on Minerals and Metals’ (ICMM’s) Water Stewardship Framework and their Practical Guide to Catchment-Based Water Management which provide industry best practices on water management and place a strong focus on working with other water users to find solutions to shared challenges.

“ICMM’s and MAC’s collaboration on water stewardship is setting the performance bar higher for our industry,” says ICMM CEO Tom Butler.

“By adopting a catchment-based approach and collaborating with other water users, our members are also playing their part in achieving the global development goal of sustainable water management.

“MAC’s new Water Stewardship Protocol will increase the number of mines that take this approach and help our industry address one of the biggest environmental challenges facing us all.”

The development of the protocol comes as a result of years of work and consultation by industry experts and stakeholder groups, including MAC’s Community of Interest Advisory Panel, which played a key role in the protocol’s creation by ensuring its commitments are aligned with societal expectation.

“Water is one of our planet’s most precious resources, and for sectors that both depend upon and have the potential to impact on freshwater, it is essential that responsible stewardship be paramount,” says Alliance for Water Stewardship chairperson Alexis Morgan.

“Access and use of freshwater cannot be taken for granted, and TSM’s new Water Stewardship Protocol not only shows that the Canadian mining industry is committed to move towards international best practices in water stewardship, but also helps guide facilities to engage stakeholders on shared challenges in the watersheds upon which everyone mutually depends.”