Profile: Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks
A voluntary facility-level standard assessing management systems for Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) risks across four sections: Management Systems and Governance, Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety, and Social and Human Rights. Applicable to downstream facilities, processors (pinch-point), and upstream facilities in the minerals supply chain.
Full Description
Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks
Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) Version 2.0 for Piloting Original Publication: June 2021 Revision Date: April 30, 2025 Effective Date: April 30, 2025
1. Introduction
Note: Terms that are Bold or Italicized have definitions set forth in Annex I — Glossary.
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) encourages the responsible sourcing of minerals globally. To incentivize and improve ESG practices within the mineral value chain, the RMI issues this voluntary Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks (Facility Standard), to assess Eligible Facilities on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance using the criteria set forth in this document. For the purpose of this Standard, occupational health and safety has been identified as its own functional area, separate from social issues, due to the specificity of the associated criteria and requirements. This Standard is applicable to all Facilities, irrespective of their current ESG performance, not only best in class or those that can meet all requirements immediately. This is premised on the commitment to continual improvement, with an emphasis on how companies adopt meaningful management systems and practices to improve outcomes in relation to ESG performance, regardless of their starting position.
2. Limitations
This Standard sets forth the criteria for assessing performance on environmental, social, health and safety, and governance issues that may pose risk to Facility operations. However, these criteria are not exhaustive and while benchmarked with the evolving regulatory landscape, does not guarantee compliance. A successful assessment must not be used to imply operating performance beyond the strict scope of this Standard, and does not determine that minerals, materials, or products are free from all potential ESG risks.
Issues pertaining to the operating Facility's supply chain are excluded from the scope of this Standard and are addressed under the RMI Supply Chain Due Diligence Module Plus.
Disclaimer: This document should be taken only as a source of information and analysis. It is not given, and should not be taken, as legal advice and the provider of the information will not be held liable for any direct or consequential loss arising from reliance on the information contained herein.
3. Eligibility
Facilities that meet the definition of Eligible Facilities as listed in the table below are eligible for assessment under this Standard.
| Supply Chain Tier | Eligible Facilities |
|---|---|
| "Downstream" refers to entities operating downstream of the pinch-point. | "Downstream Facilities" including but not limited to downstream processors, recyclers where no material transformation takes place, component manufacturers, battery anode and cathode producers, and battery cell manufacturers. |
| "Pinch-point" as defined by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains, refers to an "identified point(s)" that meets the following key characteristics: Material Transformation: Chemical or thermal transformation of materials. Market Concentration: Supply chain stages with fewer actors, which allow for greater visibility upstream, particularly regarding ESG risks. The ideal pinch point meets both market concentration and material transformation criteria. If both parameters are not present, material transformation takes precedence. For supply chains involving multiple stages of material transformation (e.g., battery supply chains), the stage offering the highest visibility over ESG risks qualifies as the pinch point. | "Processors" including but not limited to smelters, refiners (fine and crude), treatment units, transformation operations, plants producing anode and cathode ready materials, toll millers, aggregators, and recyclers where material transformation takes place. Processors are entities that receive material (which includes primary, intermediate and/or secondary materials) and produce refined, smelted, treated, transformed, purified, or cleaned mineral or metal products for use in downstream manufacturing and other midstream or downstream processes. |
| "Upstream" refers to entities located upstream of the pinch point. | "Upstream Facilities" including but not limited to integrated processing and mining operations. |
4. Applicability
All activities, processes and systems used by the Facility to manage environmental, social, health and safety and governance issues are included in the scope of the assessment. Unless otherwise specified within this Standard, all performance requirements are applicable to the Facility. A Facility may determine there are requirements that are not applicable. In such cases, the Facility shall provide a rationale as to why the requirement(s) is not applicable and provide relevant, verifiable documentation to support the explanation. The Facility can only decide that a requirement is not applicable if its decision will not affect its ability or responsibility to ensure the conformity of its management system and the enhancement of ESG performance.
5. Assurance
The Facility Standard assurance process is outlined in detail in the associated Operations Manual. A summary of the procedure is outlined below:
A Facility may be assessed against the Facility Standard as part of a standalone assessment or in conjunction with assessments against the following standards. Irrespective, the results of an assessment under the present Standard will not be impacted by the results of any other assessment conducted in parallel.
- Downstream Assessment Program Criteria (Downstream Facilities)
- Global Responsible Sourcing Standard for Mineral Supply Chains: All Minerals Standard (and associated standards) (Processors and Upstream Facilities)
- Supply Chain Due Diligence Module Plus (Downstream, Processors and Upstream Facilities)
This Standard shall be used by independent third-party assessors to determine Facility performance against the criteria set forth in the Standard in accordance with the ISO 19011:2018 Standard. Auditors shall apply professional judgment and obtain reasonable assurance and evidence that is sufficient and appropriate during assessments.
Note: ISO certifications may be in-part instructive in determining conformance to this standard, but it is not wholly determinative. The status and scope of certifications to other relevant standards will be considered for equivalency during the RMI assurance process.
Annex I — Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Action Plan | Documented measures to be taken to achieve objectives/targets and/or mitigate identified impacts. Actions plans include identification of resources, roles responsible, steps to be taken, and timelines for completion. |
| Affected Stakeholders | Individuals or groups or their legitimate representatives, who have rights or interests related to the ESG issues, or who could be affected by adverse impacts associated with the Site's operations. This includes workers, workers representatives, trade unions, neighboring landowners, land rights holders, municipalities, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, and communities of interest. |
| Applicable Laws | All the supra-national, national, state and local laws relevant and applicable in place where a Facility operates. This could include, but is not restricted to, acts, regulations and statutory policies. |
| Adverse Impact | Any adverse effect on human rights or the environment that the Site may cause, contribute to, or to which it is directly linked. Actual adverse impacts indicate adverse effects that have already occurred or are occurring; potential adverse impacts indicate an adverse effect that might occur. |
| Anti-competitive Behavior | A situation where businesses agree to prevent, restrict or distort competition to affect trade, for example by fixing prices for goods and services, limiting or preventing production or supply, dividing markets or customers and rigging bids, and/or the abuse of a dominant position by one or more businesses. |
| Baseline / Baseline Conditions | Data collected on the existing conditions of the biological environment, prior to project development, to provide a starting point against which comparisons can be made and change can be quantified. If the Facility is a legacy site or studies were not conducted prior to development of the site, baseline conditions of the current state may be assessed and used as a benchmark to monitor future progress against. |
| Bio-geophysical | An interdisciplinary approach that combines microbiology, geoscience and geophysics. It focuses on the interactions of biological activity with geologic media and how these interactions alter physical and chemical properties of the subsurface. |
| Bribery | Giving or receiving a financial or other advantage in connection with the "improper performance" of a position of trust, or a function that is expected to be performed impartially or in good faith. |
| Company | A legal business entity with overall management responsibility of operations and administration of at least one company. A company can consist of a single Facility and business processes (processing) or multiple Facilities and business processes. For the purposes of this Standard, this includes processors, integrated processing and mining operations, independent mining operations, upstream traders and/or exporters. |
| Contractors / sub-contractors | ISO defines a contractor as any organization or individual that performs work for an organization. This includes consultants, specialists, and other service providers. |
| Child Labor | The employment of children in an industry or business, especially when illegal or considered exploitative. The International Labour Organization (ILO) Minimum Age Convention 138 defines child labor as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and which interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school, obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. Child labor is any paid or unpaid work that is undertaken by a person under the age of 15, or the age for completing compulsory education, or the legal minimum age for employment in the country, whichever age is greatest. Also, any work that endangers a person under the age of 18 is considered hazardous child labor. |
| Circular Economy | Within a circular economy, material producers and product manufacturers work with end users, communities, retailers, service providers and waste management facilities to "close loops" by reusing, performing maintenance on, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling products. |
| Climate Change Adaptation | In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. |
| Climate Change Mitigation | A human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. |
| Climate Resilience | Capacity to prepare for and recover from the effects of dangerous climate-related events. |
| Collective Bargaining | Collective bargaining refers to a voluntary process or activity through which employees and workers discuss and negotiate their relations; in particular, terms and conditions of work and the regulation of relations between employers, workers and their organizations. Participants in collective bargaining include employers themselves or their organizations, and trade unions or, in their absence, representatives freely designated by the workers. |
| Contractor | ISO defines a contractor as any organization or individual that performs work for an organization. This includes consultants, specialists, and other service providers. |
| Critical Habitat | Critical Habitat is a description of the areas of the planet of highest biodiversity conservation. It takes into account both global and national priorities and builds on the conservation principles of 'vulnerability' (threat) and 'irreplaceability' (rarity/restricted distribution). It is recognized that not all Critical Habitat is equal: there are grades of Critical Habitat of varying importance. The IFC distinguish two main grades: Tier 1 Critical Habitat — highest importance in which development is very difficult to implement and offsets are generally not possible except in exceptional circumstances. Tier 2 Critical Habitat — high importance in which development may be possible and offsets may be possible under some circumstances. |
| Cultural Heritage | Customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values. Cultural heritage is often expressed as either intangible or tangible cultural heritage. |
| Cultural Rights | Indicate the right of a group to be able to express and maintain their traditions or practices, including the right to access and enjoy cultural heritage. |
| Deforestation | The purposeful and permanent destruction of forests or clearance and removal of trees from land that is then converted for human development. |
| Designated Protected Areas | Areas identified and set aside by organizations or regulatory bodies to conserve biodiversity, critical habitats, and/or natural resources. These include World Heritage Sites, Ramsar Sites, IUCN designated sites, national parks, areas of high biodiversity value, and Indigenous Community Conserved Areas. |
| Discrimination | When a person is treated less favorably than others because of characteristics that are not related to the person's competencies or the inherent requirements of the job. Forms of discrimination include sex, gender, age, religion, race, caste, birth, social background, disability, ethnic and national origin, nationality, political affiliation or opinions, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, marital status, pregnancy, diseases, or any other person characteristic. Discrimination can occur during hiring, promotion, provision of benefits, termination, training, and any other workplace activity. |
| Displacement | Displacement refers to physical displacement, that is loss of dwellings or shelter following a process of land acquisition, and economic displacement, that is loss of assets or access to assets that leads to loss of income sources or other means of livelihood. |
| Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Diversity, equity and inclusion are three interconnected values that organizations strive to integrate into their practices and cultures to promote a more inclusive and fair environment. |
| Downstream / Eligible Downstream Facility | Downstream refers to entities operating downstream of the pinch-point. Eligible Downstream Facilities include but may not be limited to downstream processors, recyclers where no material transformation takes place, component manufacturers, battery anode and cathode producers, and battery cell manufacturers. |
| Eligible Facility | Eligible Facility refers to Facilities that are eligible for assessment under this Standard, as detailed in Section 3 "Eligibility". |
| Endangered Species | A species is categorized as endangered when the best available evidence indicates it meets the criteria for this status, signifying a very high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Environmental Emergency | Any uncontrolled or unplanned spill or release of hazardous materials or substances to land, air, or water that can cause adverse environmental impacts. |
| Environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) | Systematic process of evaluating environmental and social impacts, which refer to any change, potential or actual, to (i) the physical, natural, or cultural environment, and (ii) impacts on surrounding community and workers, resulting from the business activity to be supported. |
| ESG Issues | Actual or potential risks and impacts of a site on internationally recognized human rights, labor rights, governance and the environment. |
| Facility | See "Eligible Facility". |
| Forest Degradation | Structural changes to forest cover, taking the form of the conversion of: (a) primary forests or naturally regenerating forests into plantation forests or into other wooded land; or (b) primary forests into planted forests. |
| Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) | FPIC is the principle that a specific community has the right to give or withhold its consent to proposed projects or activities that may affect the lands and resources they customarily own, occupy or otherwise use. |
| Forced (and Bonded) Labor | Forced labor can be understood as work that is performed involuntarily and under the menace of any penalty. It refers to situations in which persons are coerced to work through the use of violence or intimidation, or by more subtle means such as manipulated debt, retention of identity papers or threats of denunciation to immigration authorities. Forced labor includes bonded labor or indentured labor, involuntary or exploitative prison labor, slavery or trafficking of persons. |
| Freedom of Association | Freedom of association implies respect for the right of employers and workers to freely and voluntarily establish and join organizations of their own choice, free from outside interference or monitoring. |
| Gender | The characteristics of women, men and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time. Gender interacts with but is different from biological sex, which refers to the different biological and physiological characteristics of females, males and intersex persons, such as chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs. Gender considerations should recognize individual freedom to make choices about gender identity without the limitations set by stereotypes, rigid roles and prejudices. |
| Gender Equality | Refers to the absence of discrimination on the basis of a person's gender in opportunities, the allocation of resources and benefits, or in access to services. |
| Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions | Gases released into the atmosphere that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. This includes carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. GHG Emissions are broken down into Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emission categories. |
| Grievance | A perceived injustice evoking an individual's or a group's sense of entitlement, which may be based on law, contract, explicit or implicit promises, customary practice, or general notions of fairness of aggrieved communities. |
| Grievance Mechanism | Any routinized, State-based or non-State-based, judicial or non-judicial process through which grievances concerning business-related rights abuse can be raised and remedy can be sought. |
| Harassment | A range of unacceptable behaviors and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm. |
| Hazardous Work | Hazardous, or dangerous work is: work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces; work with dangerous machinery, equipment, and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads; work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents, or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health; work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer; work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children as per ILO Convention 182. |
| Hierarchy of Controls | Sequential steps to mitigate risks which include, elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. |
| Hot Work | Activities that can be a source of ignition and/or potential fire hazard. This includes welding, cutting, and grinding. These activities should not be conducted in areas where flammable material is present in the workplace. |
| Human Rights | Human rights are universal rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. All human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent (adapted from the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner). |
| Human Rights Abuses | Any forms of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; any forms of forced or compulsory labor, which means work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of penalty and for which said person has not offered himself voluntarily; the worst forms of child labor as defined by the ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999); other gross human rights violations and abuses such as widespread sexual violence; war crimes or other serious violations of international humanitarian law, crimes against humanity or genocide. |
| Indigenous Peoples | Indigenous communities, peoples and nations are those which, having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of the societies now prevailing on those territories, or parts of them. They form at present non-dominant sectors of society and are determined to preserve, develop and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories, and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as peoples, in accordance with their own cultural patterns, social institutions and legal system. This includes Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation (sometimes referred to as "uncontacted peoples"). |
| Legal and Other Requirements | Refer to the mandatory (legal) and voluntary (other) obligations that an organization must or chooses to comply with as part of its management system. Examples include applicable laws and regulations or voluntary commitments — such as organizational and industry standards, contractual relationships, principles of good governance and community and ethical standards. |
| Lifecycle Approach | ISO 14040, Life Cycle Assessment, defines a life cycle approach as evaluating a product or service's environmental aspects and potential impacts from raw material acquisition to final disposal, encompassing stages like design, production, transportation, and end-of-life treatment. |
| Light Pollution | Light pollution refers to excessive or inappropriately directed artificial light outdoors, often manifesting as a bright glow in the night sky ("skyglow"), glare from poorly designed fixtures, or light trespass where illumination spills into unintended areas, essentially disrupting the natural darkness of night with artificial light sources. |
| Living Wage | The remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transport, clothing, and other essential needs, including provision for unexpected events. |
| Marginalized Populations | Groups of people who, for different reasons, are excluded from mainstream social, economic, educational, and/or cultural life. These reasons may include but are not limited to discrimination and unequal power relationships across economic, political, social, and cultural dimensions. |
| Meaningful Engagement | Ongoing engagement that is two-way, conducted in good faith by the participants on both sides and responsive to stakeholders' views. |
| Mineral Waste | For the context of this Standard, mineral waste refers to sludges and slag produced from processing minerals. |
| Mitigation Hierarchy | A process of ordered steps taken throughout a project's lifecycle to limit any negative impacts on the environment and communities. Steps include: Avoidance — measures taken to avoid creating impacts from the outset of a project; Minimization — measures taken to reduce the duration, intensity and/or extent of impacts that cannot be completely avoided; Rehabilitation/Restoration — measures taken to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems and affected community aspects, or restore the environment to its former state following exposure to impacts that cannot be avoided or minimized; Offset — measures taken to compensate for any significant residual, adverse impacts that cannot be avoided, minimized, rehabilitated, or restored. |
| Money Laundering | The process by which proceeds from a criminal activity are disguised to conceal their illicit origins. |
| Net Gain | A goal for a development project in which the impacts on biodiversity it causes are outweighed by mitigation measures leaving biodiversity in a better state than before. Biodiversity net gain relies on the application of the mitigation hierarchy to avoid, mitigate, or offset biodiversity losses. |
| Noise Pollution | Noise pollution is considered to be unwanted or excessive sound that can have deleterious effects on human health, wildlife, and environmental quality. |
| No Net Loss | Refers to the point where positive biodiversity gains from targeted conservation activities match or balance the losses of biodiversity from the impacts of a development project, so that there is no net reduction overall in the type, amount, and condition of biodiversity. Determined based on the full lifecycle of the Site, rather than at a single point during operations. |
| Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Hazards | Source or situation with a potential to cause injury and ill health. Hazards can include physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial, and other conditions that have the potential to cause harm. |
| OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct | The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct provides practical support to enterprises on the implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises by providing plain-language explanations of its due diligence recommendations and associated provisions. |
| Operations Manual | Operations Manual refers to an RMI core document that outlines the rules and procedures governing the assessment program for the present Standard. This includes an assessment procedure, which summarizes the procedural requirements an auditor must follow to conduct an independent third-party assessment to validate the participating facility meets the Standard requirements. |
| Periodic / Periodically | Occurring at planned intervals based on the specific needs and context of the organization's operation, annually at a minimum, unless otherwise specified. |
| Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) | Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic chemical substances that possess a particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that, once released into the environment, they remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time, become widely distributed throughout the environment, accumulate in living organisms, and are toxic to both humans and wildlife. Refer to the List of POPs in the Stockholm Convention. |
| Pinch-point | "Pinch-point" as defined by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains, refers to an "identified point(s)" that meets the following key characteristics: Material Transformation — chemical or thermal transformation of materials; Market Concentration — supply chain stages with fewer actors, which allow for greater visibility upstream, particularly regarding ESG risks. The ideal pinch point meets both market concentration and material transformation criteria. If both parameters are not present, material transformation takes precedence. For supply chains involving multiple stages of material transformation (e.g., battery supply chains), the stage offering the highest visibility over ESG risks qualifies as the pinch point. |
| Pollutants to Air | Pollutants that may be released into the air with potential to cause adverse impacts on the environment. This includes particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ozone depleting substances (ODS). |
| Pollutants to Soil and Land | Pollutants to land and soil include: heavy metals like lead and mercury, pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, industrial waste, plastic waste, petroleum products, mining waste, garbage, sewage, and certain types of bacteria and pathogens, all of which can contaminate the soil when present in excessive amounts, impacting plant growth and potentially harming human health when ingested by animals or humans through the food chain. |
| Pollutants to Water | Harmful substances — often chemicals or microorganisms — contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment. This includes sewage, industrial wastewater, stormwater runoff, and uncontrolled releases. |
| Primary Materials | Mined materials or substances used in the primary production of metals. |
| Processor / Eligible Processor | Processors are entities that receive material (which includes primary, intermediate and/or secondary materials) and produce refined, smelted, treated, transformed, purified, or cleaned mineral or metal products for use in downstream manufacturing and other midstream or downstream processes. Eligible Processors include but may not be limited to smelters, refiners (fine and crude), treatment units, transformation operations, plants producing anode and cathode ready materials, toll millers, aggregators, and recyclers where material transformation takes place. |
| Recycled Material | Material that has been previously processed, such as end-user, post-consumer material, investment gold, scrap and waste metals as well as materials arising during processing and product manufacturing, which is returned to a refiner or other downstream intermediate processor to begin a new life cycle. |
| Recycler | An entity that reclaims materials from end-user, post-consumer products, scraps, and waste metals, and materials arising during refining and product manufacturing. This includes mid-stream operators that reclaim materials, as well as downstream operations that prepare post-consumer material for recycling. |
| Remediation / remedy / remediate | Remediation and remedy refer to both the processes of providing remedy for an adverse impact and to the substantive outcomes (i.e. remedy) that can counteract, or "make good", the adverse impact. These outcomes may take a range of forms such as apologies, restitution, rehabilitation, financial or non-financial compensation, and punitive sanctions (whether criminal or administrative, such as fines), as well as the prevention of harm through, for example, injunctions or guarantees of non-repetition. |
| Reprisals | Actions taken against groups or individuals who raise concerns, report grievances, or participate in activities. This includes any form of intimidation, harassment, or discrimination directed at employees, community members, or other stakeholders who engage in activities to uphold environmental and social standards. |
| Resettlement Action Plan | A Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) is a document drafted by the sponsor or other parties responsible for resettlement (such as government agencies), specifying the procedures it will follow and the actions it will take to properly resettle and compensate affected people and communities. |
| Residual Impacts | Adverse impacts that still exist after measures have been taken to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts. |
| Residual Risk | The determined level of risk after mitigation measures have been applied. This is in contrast to inherent risk. |
| Restoration | Ecosystem restoration or ecological restoration is the process of helping ecosystems that have been disturbed by human activities or natural disasters to recover their natural structure and function (UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration). |
| Salient / Saliency | Under UNGP, a salient issue is prominent or important and stands out conspicuously. They stand out because they have some likelihood of occurring and are at risk of the most severe negative impact through the company's activities or business relationships. The concept uses the lens of risk to people (or the environment), not the business, as a starting point, while recognizing that where risks are greatest, there is strong convergence with risk to the business. |
| Scope 1 Emissions | The direct GHG emissions from sources owned or controlled by the Site including stationary combustion, mobile combustion, process emissions and fugitive emissions. |
| Scope 2 Emissions | The indirect GHG emissions that result from the generation of purchased or acquired electricity, heating, cooling, and steam consumed by the Site. |
| Scope 3 Emissions | The sub-categories of indirect GHG emissions that occur outside of the facility's control, from sources upstream and downstream within their supply chain owned or controlled by others. This includes emissions from transportation of supplies and end products and emissions produced in the manufacturing of an input to the main production process. |
| Scrap | Includes pre-consumer scrap, post-consumer scrap and run-around scrap. Pre-consumer scrap: Material that is diverted from the waste stream from a manufacturing process or similar, in which the material has not been intentionally produced, is unfit for end use and not capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it. Post-consumer scrap: Material that is reclaimed from a consumer or commercial product that has been used for its intended purpose by individuals, households or commercial, industrial and institutional facilities as end-users of the product which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This is also referred to as recycled material. Run-around scrap: Run-around scrap, sometimes referred to as home scrap or in-house scrap, is material generated and reclaimed at the same site. |
| Secondary Materials | Secondary materials, commonly referred to as recycled/scrap. This includes recycled covered minerals which are scrap processed covered minerals created during product manufacturing including: excess, defective, and scrap covered minerals materials which contain processed covered minerals that are appropriate to recycle. As defined by the OECD Guidance, minerals partially processed, unprocessed, or byproducts from another mineral are not recycled or secondary materials. |
| Supplier | Suppliers in the context of the Standard refers to all companies from which the Facility receives goods or services pertaining to the operations of the Facility, with the exclusion of raw and secondary material suppliers in their upstream supply chain. |
| Targets | Targets are specific, measurable goals put in place to help reach an objective. |
| Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) | A cumulative body of knowledge, innovations practices and representations maintained and developed by peoples with extended histories of interaction with the natural environment. |
| Upstream / Eligible Upstream Facilities | Upstream refers to entities located upstream of the pinch point. Eligible Upstream Facilities include but may not be limited to integrated processing and mining operations. |
| Uncontacted Peoples | Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and those living in initial contact who have very little interaction with the majority non-Indigenous society. Based on their living situation, uncontacted persons are extremely vulnerable. |
| UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights | The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are a set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations. They provide a blueprint for action, defining parameters within which States and businesses should develop policies, rules and processes based on their respective roles and circumstances. |
| Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations | Populations that are characterized by their higher risk and reduced ability to cope with adverse impacts. Such vulnerability may be based on socio-economic conditions, such as sex, gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, or other criteria that influence people's ability to access resources and development opportunities. |
| Waste Mitigation Hierarchy | A method of ranking waste management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred in the following order: Prevention of waste through product/process design; Reduction and reuse; Recycling; Recovery (conversion of non-recyclable waste into useable heat, electricity, or fuel); Treatment and disposal. |
| Water Stewardship | Water stewardship is the responsible management of water resources in a way that is environmentally sustainable, economically beneficial, and socially equitable. It involves actions that are based on the site and catchment. |
| Work at Heights | Work in any place, including a place at or below ground level, where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. Distance considered 'work at heights' is prescribed by national legislation and differs based on areas of jurisdiction. |
| Worker | Personnel that are directly employed by the Facility, or organization. This includes workers employed via service providers, labor agencies, or third parties. |
© 2025 Responsible Business Alliance. All Rights Reserved. Source: RMI Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks, Version 2.0 for Piloting (effective April 30, 2025)
Assessment Criteria
- Management Systems and Governance | 1.0.0
- Environmental | 1.0.0
- Occupational Health and Safety | 1.0.0
- Social and Human Rights | 1.0.0
Conformity Topics
Conformity topics covered by this profile, drawn from the UN/CEFACT conformity topic classification.
Air Quality Management
Controlling and reducing non-GHG air pollutant emissions including SOx, NOx, VOCs, particulates, and ozone-depleting substances from operations and production processes.
Anti-Corruption Measures
Preventing bribery, extortion, and corrupt practices through policies, controls, and organizational culture.
Chemical Safety
Restriction and responsible management of hazardous substances in materials, products, and production processes.
Community Empowerment
Supporting local community development, livelihoods, and participation in decisions that affect their wellbeing.
Decent Work Conditions
Provision of fair wages, reasonable working hours, and dignified employment conditions throughout the supply chain.
Ecosystem Preservation
Protecting biodiversity, natural habitats, and ecosystem services from degradation caused by production and extraction activities.
Emergency Readiness
Preparedness planning, training, and response capabilities for workplace emergencies including fire, chemical spills, and natural disasters.
Feedback Channels
Accessible grievance mechanisms, whistleblower protections, and feedback systems for workers, communities, and stakeholders to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Forced Labor Elimination
Preventing all forms of forced, bonded, or compulsory labor including debt bondage and human trafficking in supply chains.
Gender Equity
Promoting gender diversity, equal opportunity, and elimination of gender-based discrimination in employment and business practices.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Measuring, reporting, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, methane, N2O, F-gases) across production, transport, and supply chain activities.
Human Equity and Welfare
Protection of human rights, promotion of fair labor practices, and support for community wellbeing across operations and supply chains.
Legal Compliance
Adherence to applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations in all jurisdictions of operation.
Living Conditions
Ensuring safe, sanitary, and dignified accommodation for workers where employer-provided housing is applicable.
Recycled Material Integration
Incorporation of secondary and recycled materials into production processes, reducing dependence on virgin resources.
Rights and Equality
Ensuring non-discrimination and equal treatment regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics.
Risk Identification
Systematic assessment and prioritization of environmental, social, and governance risks across operations and supply chains.
Stakeholder Inclusion
Meaningful engagement with affected parties including workers, communities, and civil society in governance processes.
Supply Chain Labor Rights
Ensuring fair treatment of workers throughout the supply chain including subcontractors and informal workers.
Systemic Sustainability
Establishing management frameworks, policies, and processes for systematic improvement of environmental, social, and governance outcomes.
Transparent Communication
Public disclosure and reporting of sustainability policies, performance, and progress to stakeholders.
Waste Minimization
Reducing waste generation through prevention, reuse, and improved production processes across the product lifecycle.
Water Conservation
Sustainable water management including efficient use, pollution prevention, and watershed protection throughout operations and supply chains.
Worker Representation
Respecting freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, and worker participation in workplace governance.
Workplace Safety
Protecting worker health and safety through hazard prevention, protective equipment, and safe working environments.
Youth Protection
Safeguarding young workers from hazardous conditions and eliminating child labor in all forms across supply chains.
Criterion Scoring Framework
Each criterion is assessed using one of six conclusion levels. A facility receives a valid RMAP Facility Standard assessment only when no Priority findings are present and it meets the minimum pass level on all applicable criteria. Priority findings require immediate corrective action; facilities with open Priority findings are listed as Invalid.
meets: Meets
Severity: 1
Definition: "All critical data points are present AND all required elements are demonstrated. The facility fully satisfies the requirements of this criterion."
partially-meets: Partially Meets
Severity: 2
Definition: "All critical data points are present but one or more required elements are missing and the gap is not systemic. The facility must remediate within 180 days."
does-not-meet: Does Not Meet
Severity: 3
Definition: "One or more critical data points are absent, indicating a systemic failure to meet the criterion. The facility must remediate within 90 days."
priority: Priority
Severity: 4
Definition: "A severe violation per Annex I of the Operations Manual: illegal or unlicensed operations, forced or compulsory labour, child labour, imminent risk to worker or community health and safety, harassment or abuse, or severe environmental damage. Requires corrective action within 30 days; the facility is listed as Invalid until resolved."
not-applicable: Not Applicable
Severity: 5
Definition: "The criterion is not relevant to the facility's type, physical location, commodity, or affected stakeholders, and the assessor has documented the rationale with evidence."
not-able-to-assess: Not Able to Assess
Severity: 6
Definition: "The assessor was denied access to the evidence sources required to evaluate this criterion and has documented the specific access restriction."
Standard Alignment
| Name | Alignment Level |
|---|---|
| OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct | meets |
| UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights | meets |
| ISO 14001 | partial |
| ISO 45001 | partial |
| SA8000 | partial |
| ISO 26000 | partial |
Regulatory Alignment
| Name | Jurisdiction | Alignment Level |
|---|---|---|
| ILO Core Labour Conventions | International | meets |
Scope
| Code | Name | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| B | Mining and Quarrying | UN ISIC Rev.4 |
| C24 | Manufacture of basic metals | UN ISIC Rev.4 |
| C26 | Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | UN ISIC Rev.4 |
Change Log
1.0.0 (2026-06-24)
Added
- Initial profile structure with 43 leaf criteria composed by 4 category-level aggregate criteria (Management Systems and Governance, Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety, Social and Human Rights)
- Profile documentation (en.md) from RMI Facility Standard v2.0 for Piloting (April 2025), sections 1–5
- Spanish and Chinese translations of profile documentation (machine-translated)