Assurance system Veramark Assurance, formerly the Copper Mark, has launched the Responsible Metals Value Chain Platform, a network designed to connect companies and stakeholders across the minerals and metals value chain and support greater transparency, collaboration and responsible production and sourcing.

The Value Chain Platform brings together miners, smelters, refiners, fabricators, recyclers, traders, manufacturers, financial institutions and other stakeholders to address shared challenges and develop practical initiatives to support responsible and resilient value chains.

The platform complements Veramark’s upstream coverage with more than 140 participant sites engaged in the Veramark Assurance process.

It will support work on areas including risk identification and mitigation; stakeholder engagement; value chain transparency and traceability; differentiated environmental, social and governance performance; and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and recycled content.

Veramark says that more than 20 companies have already signed up as Veramark Value Chain partners by agreeing to the value chain platform charter, including a variety of upstream, midstream and downstream companies.

As partners, Veramark explains that these companies can join proposed initiatives including copper chain of custody pilots and a project to map GHG emissions methodologies to build understanding and improve product-level data flows.

The platform comprises three interconnected elements.

The first is the Responsible Metals Value Chain forum, which convenes value chain partners at least twice a year to discuss priorities and advance initiatives. The inaugural in-person value chain forum will take place on November 30 in London, in the UK.

The second includes value chain groups focused on collaboration to advance practical solutions to address key issues such as transparency, traceability, GHG emissions and recycled content.

The third element is the value chain online hub, which is an exclusive repository for platform materials, tools and value-chain information including data and industry insights provided by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and reserved for value chain partners.

“Responsible production cannot stop at the mine site. It must be supported by transparency, information exchange and cooperation across the value chain.

“The Veramark Responsible Metals Value Chain Platform creates a practical way for companies and stakeholders to connect, address shared challenges and help build confidence in how minerals and metals are produced and sourced,” says Veramark CEO Michèle Brülhart.