ICMM's Tailings Conformance Protocol: What Year-3 GISTM Reporting Looks Like

The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management was published in August 2020 by the International Council on Mining and Metals, the UN Environment Programme, and the Principles for Responsible Investment. It contains 77 auditable requirements across six topics, and ICMM members committed to conform on a phased timetable: extreme and very high consequence facilities by August 2023, and all other facilities by August 2025.

ICMM published its Conformance Protocols in 2021, providing the audit framework that independent reviewers would use. Three years into conformance reporting, a few patterns are clear. Engineer of Record arrangements have been formalised across most member portfolios. Knowledge base documentation has been standardised. Emergency preparedness and response plans have been revised at scale.

The Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative, co-chaired by the Church of England Pensions Board, has been one of the key drivers of investor-side accountability. Public disclosures of conformance status are now a de facto expectation for ICMM members.

The 2024 establishment of the Global Tailings Management Institute was designed to provide ongoing independent assurance and interpretation of GISTM. For inspectors conducting or participating in tailings dam inspections, the Institute's guidance is the first place to look for conformance interpretation questions.