The mines in Botswana will be the first in Africa to adopt a Canadian model of sustainability that requires members to continuously assess their mining practices and report them to the community.

The Towards Sustainable Mining® (TSM) initiative looks at six core areas – including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity conservation and community outreach – that combine industry technical standards, such as those used in mine tailings management.

The TSM approach is mandatory for all members of the Mining Association of Canada, but its use has spread to other countries including Finland and Argentina. Botswana now joins them in seeking to improve the environmental and social performance, and the transparency, of the mining industry.

“Botswana Chamber of Mines members subscribe to the principles of responsible mining and extraction of minerals from the earth,” said Charles Siwawa, CEO of the Botswana Chamber of Mines. “The adoption of TSM will enable the industry to demonstrate adherence to sound and sustainable minerals development practices and strive towards continual improvement.”

The program was launched in 2004, and is designed through dialogue with industry and civil society partners. The Canadians often share their expertise in other countries working on sustainability goals.

The initiative reflects Canada’s strong relationship with Botswana, said Canadian Ambassador Kumar Gupta, promising his country’s commitment in supporting sustainable mining development.

Image: Botswana Chamber of Mines