Vale was elected to membership yesterday at the ICA's annual meeting of members in London, taking the number of members to 31 on six continents.

"We are excited to have Vale join us at this pivotal point when ESG issues and climate change mitigation are driving the industry to positive change," ICA president Anthony Lea said.

"We are working closely with our members to define the ways in which the copper industry can decarbonize its own processes, and we are aiming for the delivery of a roadmap to achieve this by early next year.

"It is critical to have Vale's voice heard in the process."

Vale base metals executive vice president Mark Travers said the company was committed to integrating sustainability into its business "by building a strong and positive economic, social and environmental legacy and mitigating the impacts of its operations".

"Copper mining is a crucial part of our business and we take our responsibility to the environment very seriously," he said.

"ICA is guiding its industry-leading members toward collective carbon neutrality and Vale believes it is important to collaborate with our peers in this transformation."

Vale produced 360,100 tonnes of copper in 2020, compared with fellow ICA members Glencore's 1.26 million tonnes and Canada-based Teck Resources' 276,000t.