During a ceremony at the PDAC 2020 convention in Toronto, Norsk Bergindustri became the eight international association to adopt the programme aimed at improving environmental and social practices in the mining industry.

It is the third European and second Scandinavian association after FinnMin to sign on to the programme, an increasingly internationally recognised standard for responsible mining.

Norsk Bergindustri, with MAC's support, will tailor TSM's performance areas to reflect the unique aspects of its domestic mining sector and commits to TSM implementation over the next five years.

"For a long time, our industry has seen the need for good tools and methods for measuring environmental performance. We are very pleased that the Norwegian mineral industry is taking decisive steps to measure its environmental performance," said Norsk Bergindustri secretary general Anita Hall.

The MAC and its members launched TSM in 2004 to enable mining companies to meet society's needs for minerals, metals and energy products in the most socially, economically and environmentally responsible way. Implementation of the programme is mandatory for all MAC members' Canadian sites, but many voluntarily apply it to their international sites.

TSM requires mining companies to annually assess their facilities' performance across eight critical areas, including energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management, Indigenous and community outreach, safety and health, and biodiversity conservation.