Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée gets accredited with the ASI Performance Standard V2 Provisional certification

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) announced that Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) has been accredited with the Performance Standard V2 (2017) Provisional certification. CBG has received the certification for its activities in Boké Prefecture, Guinea, which include bauxite mining near Sangarédi, bauxite export port operations at Kamsar, rail operations, and a biodiversity offset site.

The audit process is characterised by a dedicated and comprehensive assurance procedure that follows a risk-based approach to assure the integrity of the audit results. The certification scope encompasses various areas, including:

• the Sangarédi mining site (exploration and mining operations)
• the Kamsar bauxite processing plant (bauxite drying and crushing)
• the Kamsar port facilities
• the Boké railway (connecting Sangarédi and Kamsar)
• the Moyen-Bafing biodiversity compensation site in the Labé region, as well as the production and distribution of electricity and water
• the management of workers' housing at the Kamsar and Sangarédi sites

Souleymane Traoré, Managing Director at CBG, said, "Our commitment extends beyond environmental concerns to empowering the communities where we operate. We have undertaken significant initiatives to enhance local infrastructure, provide clean water and electricity, and deliver essential health services. As we celebrate our achievement, we remain committed to advancing our practices to strike a balance between economic transformation and environmental and social responsibility. We call upon our industry peers to join us in this commitment to create a sustainable and responsible mining sector that benefits both our environment and the communities we serve."

The audit process included various measures to ensure its effectiveness. These measures included a thorough assessment of risks before the audit, the involvement of local ASI Registered Specialists to engage with the local community in their language, an ASI Witness Assessment where ASI secretariat members were present during the audit and careful oversight after the audit. All of these measures were taken to ensure that the audit findings meet the requirements of the Standard.

Saran Camara, Head of Reporting and Sustainable Projects Management, added, "CBG's journey has always been about more than bauxite valorisation. It's about a commitment to environmental preservation, community empowerment, and ethical mining. Achieving ASI certification and committing to address identified gaps underscores our dedication to these principles."

Dr Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI said, “ASI congratulates CBG on their Provisional Certification against Performance Standard V2.  This has been a significant audit that has attracted interest from a wide range of stakeholders. ASI has used all of its available processes to oversee the integrity of the assurance.  These have included advance discussion with community representatives and Human Rights Watch on issues of concern, advance review and feedback on the audit plan, ensuring that the audit team involved Guinean nationals with local knowledge and language skills, and confirming that a broad range of communities were consulted during the audit process in accordance with the ASI Assurance Manual.  Three ASI Secretariat members were also on-site for the audit itself, carrying out a Witness Assessment over the 12 days.  Finalisation of the report took time, as the ASI Secretariat asked a range of follow up questions of the audit team to enable the findings to be as informative and accessible as possible for affected and interested stakeholders.”

Dr. Solomon added, “The report outcomes highlight that while there is progress in meeting some aspects of the Standard, there is more to do on some important environmental and social criteria.  ASI Certification is an improvement journey that includes a commitment to addressing issues, demonstrating action and progress, and identifying gaps.  The publicly available findings provide transparency on status at the time of the audit, and links to company disclosures required by the ASI Standard where more detail can be found.  The next audit in mid-2024 will follow up on the non-conformances identified and we expect to continue to engage with key stakeholders in preparation for that.  We thank CBG for stepping up to this improvement journey:  the performance of the mining sector is critical for achieving our broader goal of a responsible aluminium value chain.”