News & Media

But witnessing Brumadinho, and comprehending the 272 lives it claimed, was the moment I knew the mining industry had to change fundamentally, and that no single organisation could make that change alone. The industry knew it too.

That conviction is why, despite having recently retired, I didn’t hesitate when I was presented with the opportunity to become the first CEO of the Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI). The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), launched in 2020 in response to major failures, was built around one goal: zero harm to people and the environment. Mine operators worldwide have since committed to it, recognising that a tailings facility is critical infrastructure that should be managed across its full lifecycle, not optimised for short-term production alone. But six years on, failures are still happening, and we’ve learned that a standard alone isn’t enough. The industry needed an independent body to oversee consistent, transparent and credible conformance across every facility globally.

That’s why ICMM, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Principles for Responsible Investment partnered to establish the GTMI in 2025, to drive the widespread adoption and implementation of the GISTM, and make assurance practical. This includes providing clear audit protocols, qualified auditors, and a credible pathway to certification.

Partnerships in practice

We’re now at an important point in our collective journey, where shared commitment by operators can be strengthened through demonstrated action. By working together to support a credible and independent approach, operators can help build greater trust among communities, investors, regulators and other stakeholders by demonstrating that commitments are being implemented consistently and transparently. Communities need to know assessments aren’t shaped by commercial pressure, investors need disclosures that are comparable and robust, and regulators need consistent, defensible assessments they can rely on.

This is precisely what this year’s Mining Indaba theme, ‘Stronger Together: Partnerships in Practice’, calls for: moving beyond dialogue and embedding collaboration into everyday decisions, investments and operations. This is what GTMI aims to do: move the industry from intent to implementation and credible assurance. We’re building capability across the whole system, defining competency standards for auditors, and helping boards understand what good oversight looks like, so accountability runs from the site to the boardroom.

The choice ahead

Operators that commit to credible GISTM conformance will reap real benefits: a stronger social licence to operate, better relationships with regulators and communities, and, increasingly, better access to insurance and capital, particularly for the legacy facilities most exposed to today’s climate volatility.

Investors are already putting a stake in the ground, and are growing unwilling to finance operations that fall short of standards like the GISTM. Mining companies and government-owned enterprises with operational responsibility for tailings facilities now face a choice: manage tailings as they always have, or commit to effectively implementing and conforming with the GISTM. The GTMI is calling on them to become Signatories, joining a globally consistent registry, audit, certification, disclosure, and quality-assurance system that helps raise the bar everywhere.

If the mining industry wants to prove that they care about people and the environment, honestly identifying and effectively managing tailings risk is not optional. The goal is simple: fewer failures, more trust, and more consistency in how the Standard is applied across regions and operators.