The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is taking seriously its role as a responsible steward of its significant mineral resources by setting higher standards of regulatory compliance relating to mining operations, environmental protection, and community engagement.
In order to ensure that production growth of its mineral output does not outpace the country’s readiness to meet international sustainability requirements, the DRC has introduced more stringent regulatory frameworks and is encouraging mining operators to adopt global best practices and to adhere to globally recognised reporting standards, such as the Joint Ore Reserves (JORC) Committee Code and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) principles.
The DRC is seeking to leverage the mining sector to achieve greater economic upliftment and to attract the trust – and dollars – of international investors seeking a return on their investment that aligns with global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
The ethical and sustainable exploration and processing of the country’s critical copper, cobalt, lithium and other minerals is key to accessing premium markets such as large industrial consumers and global commodity exchanges, which are looking for demonstrable ESG performance.
The government is deploying all the tools at its disposal to guide the sector into a new era of efficiency, transparency and sustainability.
Global engineering and scientific firm SRK Consulting has had a presence in the DRC for 16 years, and drawing from its expertise across the continent and beyond, combined with a deep understanding of the local environment, the company has been able to play a significant role working with operators in support of the government’s efforts.
SRK Consulting Congo Chairman, Dominique Sambwa says, “From a past in which minerals were extracted often to the detriment of host countries, we have moved to global acknowledgement of the need to benefit local people and economies, and we are proud to have contributed over the last 16 years to the DRC in that regard.”
