CMSI 101 – How should sustainability leads prepare for the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative?
SUMMARY: The Consolidated Mining Standard sets out unified requirements for responsible mining, combining four previous frameworks into a single benchmark. To achieve compliance, companies must meet sustainability criteria across 24 performance areas, including ethical business practices, social and environmental stewardship. This new standard streamlines responsible mining processes, clarifies expectations for sustainability leads, and supports sector-wide improvements in mining compliance and accountability.
Written by Fiona Hutmacher
1. What is the CMSI?
The Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) is a new framework that consolidates the following four existing standards into one:
- Copper Mark, an assurance framework for the responsible production of copper and other minerals such as molybdenum, nickel and zinc
- Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) is a framework promoting sustainable practices across environmental, social and governance areas in mining operations
- World Gold Council’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMPs) are a set of principles designed to ensure ethical, transparent, and sustainable gold mining practices
- ICMM’s Mining Principles were developed by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) to cover a wide range of responsible mining practices, including environmental stewardship, human rights, and community engagement
The Consolidated Mining Standard defines 24 performance areas across four key pillars, aiming to streamline and elevate sustainability and responsibility in the mining sector.
2. How far has the CMSI come, and what’s next?
The development of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative has progressed steadily over the past two years. In 2023, Draft Zero of the Standard was created, laying the foundation for a more unified approach to responsible mining practices.
Early in 2024, several advisory groups and subject-matter experts, including our team at Kumi, who contributed to the review of Performance Area 03: Responsible Supply Chains, provided input that informed the creation of Draft 1 of the Consolidated Mining Standard. This version was published and underwent its first public consultation towards the end of 2024.
Following that consultation, Kumi was again engaged to review the feedback related to Performance Area 03. We analysed stakeholder input and provided recommendations to the CMSI drafting committee on how the feedback should be incorporated into the revised version of the Standard. An updated version of the Standard, Draft 2, was published in October 2025.
The process is now entering its final phase, with the second and final public consultation open from 8 October to 17 November 2025. This marks a key milestone in the Consolidated Mining Standard’s journey towards becoming a widely adopted benchmark for responsible mining.
3. When will the CMSI launch, and what should companies expect?
The final version of the Consolidated Mining Standard is expected to be published in 2026, following the conclusion of the final public consultation. Once stakeholder feedback has been reviewed and integrated, the Consolidated Mining Standard will be formally approved by a multi-stakeholder board, marking its official launch as a unified benchmark for responsible mining.
While the Consolidated Mining Standard is designed to replace the four existing standards, Copper Mark, TSM, RGMPs, and ICMM Mining Principles, the transition timelines for companies currently using these frameworks have not yet been defined. Further guidance is anticipated following the finalisation of the Standard, including implementation pathways and support mechanisms to facilitate adoption across the sector.
4. What will CMSI compliance look like?
The Consolidated Mining Standard is structured around the 24 Performance Areas listed above, each of which will be assessed across three progressive levels:
- Towards Good Practice – the entry level, aligned with minimum industry expectations
- Good Practice – the standard benchmark for responsible performance
- Leading Practice – demonstrating sector leadership and innovation
To make a formal performance claim under the CMSI, an entity must meet the following cumulativecriteria:
- Achieve an aggregated score of at least 80% at the ‘Good Practice’ level
- Meet ‘Good Practice’ standards in at least 20 of the 24 Performance Areas
- Demonstrate ‘Good Practice’ in at least four Performance Areas within each of the four Consolidated Mining Standard’s pillars
Further details on the assessment framework and scoring methodology can be found here: Claims Policy.
5. Will there be a ‘Mining Mark’? Understanding the CMSI claims.
The nature of the claim companies will be able to make under the CMSI is still under development. It may build on the existing Copper Mark model, where companies receive commodity-specific marks such as the Copper Mark or Nickel Mark, or it could introduce a new, unified CMSI designation (e.g., the Mining Mark) that reflects adherence to the broader responsible mining framework.
Next Steps for Sustainability Leads
CMSI is poised to become an important benchmark for responsible mining, and sustainability leads should begin preparing now. Although the detailed requirements are still under consultation (open until 17 November 2025) and adjustments to the criteria are to be expected, the breadth and depth of the standard already suggest that meeting all performance areas may be challenging for some companies. This is the time for sustainability leads to engage with colleagues across relevant departments, assess which areas may require additional attention, and determine what can be addressed internally versus where external support might be needed. Taking these steps now will allow for strategic planning, effective resource allocation, and informed budgeting – ensuring organisations are well-positioned when the final standard is released.
