The concept of Fair Cobalt is based on the notion that through joint action, the lives of community members in cobalt producing regions can be measurably improved, both in regard to working conditions inside the mines and the livelihood opportunities men and women can pursue outside the mines. Across activities, projects are designed with a gender-sensitive approach and in respect of children’s rights.
Measuring Impact
Mining itself is the depletion of finite resources, having an undeniable effect on the environment and the communities living around both ASM and LSM operations. The FCA, however, believes that if managed in line with best practices, environmental impact can be minimised and social benefit to the community at the same time maximised.
To measure the impact of FCA’s efforts, both on- and off-site, impact will be monitored across five impact areas.
Child Labour
Education
Working Conditions
Health & Safety Fair Trade Systems
Livelihood
Income
Environmental Management
Environmental Stewardship
Gender
Women Empowerment
More concretely, these impact areas will be measured both at a mine site level as well as the broader community. In the tables below, we outline the key indicators that we aim to capture across our programmes. As some impact areas will take longer to show lasting and measurable change, the tables below are divided into progress indicators and impact indicators respectively. Progress indicators are based on the adoption of better management practices and are indicative of long-term change, impact metrics are based on quantifiable improvements of concrete metrics describing real social or environmental impacts.
| Progress Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level* | Scope 2: Community Level* |
| Progress IndicatorsEducation | Scope 1: Mine Level*Children identified at risk of child labour and enrolled in education progammes (Disaggregated by activity inside the mine, age and sex) | Scope 2: Community Level*Children identified at risk of child labour and enrolled in education progammes (Disaggregated by activity inside the mine, age and sex) |
| Progress IndicatorsHealth & Safety | Scope 1: Mine Level*% of workers with appropriate PPE (by sex) | Scope 2: Community Level*N/A |
| Progress IndicatorsCommunity Empowerment | Scope 1: Mine Level* | Scope 2: Community Level*Communities with access to grievances/incident reporting via NGOs (Form to be determined) |
| Progress IndicatorsFair Trade Systems | Scope 1: Mine Level*% of CIP Goals met in time (per quarter) | Scope 2: Community Level*# of ASM operations with CIP commitment and monitoring |
| Progress Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level*% of traders committed to transparent pricing best practice | Scope 2: Community Level*N/A |
| Progress IndicatorsIncome | Scope 1: Mine Level*# of people voluntarily engaging in saving groups (by sex) | Scope 2: Community Level*# of people voluntarily engaging in saving groups (by sex) |
| Progress Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level*Perception of availability of economic alternatives (at all work Stations) | Scope 2: Community Level*Perception of availability of economic alternatives |
| Impact Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level* | Scope 2: Community Level* |
| Impact IndicatorsEducation | Scope 1: Mine Level*% of children still enrolled in mitigation program (e.g. children (<18) the attend school, after school/free-meal programme, or vocational traning) (across all sites after 3 years) | Scope 2: Community Level*% of children (<18) Attending school regularly (across all sites after 3 years) |
| Impact IndicatorsHealth & Safety | Scope 1: Mine Level*# of and frequency accidents & fatalities (inside the mine and during transport, desegregated by severity, and work activity | Scope 2: Community Level* |
| Impact Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level*% of incidents “resolved”, e.g. Health services provided, compensation paid, etc | Scope 2: Community Level* |
| Impact IndicatorsEnvironmental Stewardship | Scope 1: Mine Level*Air pollution metrics at communities “of Interest” | Scope 2: Community Level*Air pollution metrics at communities “of Interest” |
| Impact Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level*Quality of water bodies mine premises and steams exiting the mine | Scope 2: Community Level*Quality of water bodies mine premises and steams exiting the mine |
| Impact Indicators | Scope 1: Mine Level*Land area under good management / renediated | Scope 2: Community Level* |
| Progress IndicatorsFair Trade Systems | Scope 1: Mine Level*Perception of trade terms (by sex) | Scope 2: Community Level* |
| Impact IndicatorsIncome | Scope 1: Mine Level*Average income of washers, transporters and underground mine workers (by sex) | Scope 2: Community Level*Increase of HH income at a community level |
Explanation
*Progress indicators are used when impact can only measured after long period of time.
Alignment with the U.N’s Sustainable Development Goals
Turning mineral exploitation into a driver for community development, our work in poverty reduction, health and safety, education, and global supply chain engagement is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
1. No Poverty
4. Quality Education
8. Decent work & economic growth
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
17. Partnerships for the goals
CMOC is a key player in the global mining sector and is committed to ensuring all mineral production meets the highest standards. As a large industrial miner that maintains strict product control and custody procedures, ASM sits outside of our own cobalt supply chain but we recognize that ASM, and those communities reliant on it, should not be neglected.
In consideration of the complex issues to address such as poverty-driven child labour and working conditions at ASM sites, the FCA advocates for supply chain wide collaboration and coordination of efforts on the ground. We are proud to be supporting the work of the FCA.