ICMM Water Reporting:

Quick Reference Guide

August 2021

ICMM’s Water Stewardship: Position Statement requires members to apply strong

and transparent corporate water governance. This includes publicly reporting
‘company water performance, material risks, opportunities and management
response using consistent industry metrics and recognised approaches’.
ICMM’s Water Stewardship: Position Statement includes As the ICMM minimum reporting commitments are
a commitment to all members to ‘apply strong and implemented across our membership and more broadly
transparent corporate water governance’, including to within the mining industry, it is anticipated that there will
‘publicly report company water performance, material be an improvement in the transparency, quality and
risks, opportunities and management response using consistency of mining industry water use disclosures
consistent industry metrics and recognised over time.
approaches’. To support members in achieving this
commitment, in 2017, ICMM published A Practical Guide Why Is Corporate Water Transparency So
to Consistent Water Reporting which includes a set of Important?
minimum reporting commitments and provides Effective management of water resources requires a
supporting guidance around how to deliver on these. holistic understanding of how water is used and
ICMM has developed an updated version of this report, consumed in different sectors of the economy. In this
the Water Reporting: Good Practice Guide. The focus of context, corporate transparency of water dependencies,
this update included reviewing ICMM’s minimum uses, impacts, risks-opportunities and management is
reporting commitments against those of relevant fundamental for engaging a broad range of stakeholders
external reporting platforms (notably GRI) and in open dialogue which allow informed decision-making.
enhancing the supporting guidance by leveraging the Water transparency underpins stakeholder engagement
insights and learnings gained during the implementation at all scales – from the local catchment level to the global
phase and supporting work undertaken by ICMM since corporate perspective, and across all stakeholder groups
the launch of the first addition. from internal operators and managers to a diverse range

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of external stakeholders including investors, policy opportunities, and management response. The narrative
makers, regulators and local communities. allows the context and meaning of the supporting
metrics to be clearly articulated, as the magnitude and
Corporate water transparency is especially important for
significance of these metrics may vary substantially
the mining and metals industry, which has a high level of
water dependency and risk-opportunity exposure due to year-on-year and between companies due to the unique
the nature of its activities. This situation creates both nature of the industry’s activities and water handling
water risks and opportunities for the company and local requirements.
water users. The ICMM water reporting metrics required to meet
Corporate water reporting can assist in identifying water these minimum reporting commitments are summarised
saving possibilities through operational efficiencies and in Table 2. The reporting metrics describe all material
water sharing opportunities that help to conserve water, water volumes and qualities associated with the
reduce water dependency, mitigate environmental and operation of a site. As illustrated in Figure 1, ICMM
local community impacts and address supply deficits. reporting metrics describe:

— Water inflows and outflows associated with the site:

What Are ICMM’s Water Reporting
including water withdrawal, discharge and
Commitments?
consumption.
The minimum reporting commitments for ICMM
member companies are provided in Table 1 below (page — Key water flows and dynamics internal to the site:
10 of the Guide). This information should be made including operational water reuse/recycle, operational
publicly available on company websites or in company water use, and change in storage (delta storage).
reports.
Key points to consider when developing site water
The commitments are structured to generate an accounts, classifying water quality and generating site
overview narrative supported by consistent metrics, reporting metrics are outlined in further detail in the
which describe a company’s water interactions, risks and Water Reporting: Good Practice Guide.

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Table 1 – ICMM’s Minimum Water Reporting Commitments ( See Table 2 for definitions of the below metrics)

Element Minimum Reporting Commitment

1) Interactions Narrative
with water 1.1. What are the company’s main:
a) Water activities?
b) Water sources used for withdrawal?
c) Consumptive water uses?
d) Water discharges?
Metrics
1.2. Report the following volumes (in megalitres) aggregated for all sites:
a. Operational water withdrawal by source type (surface water, groundwater, seawater and
third-party (an entity that is external to the site or company eg communities) and water
quality category (high and low).
b. Other managed water withdrawal by water quality category (high and low).
c. Total discharge by destination type (surface water, groundwater, seawater and to third
parties) and water quality (high and low).
d. Total consumption.
 eport the same volumes (in megalitres) aggregated for all sites situated in water stressed
1.3. R
areas.
2) Water Narrative
risks and 2.1. Overall, how material is water to business value and performance?
opportunities 2.2. What are the material water risks or challenges facing the company?

2.3. Does the company hold significant operations in water-stressed areas?

2.4. Has the company had any material regulatory non-compliances relating to the quality of its
discharges? If yes, briefly describe.
2.5. What water opportunities are available to the company?
Metrics
2.6. Present the proportion of sites (as an absolute number or a percentage) located in water
stressed areas.
3) Narrative
Commitment 3.1. How does the company integrate water into business strategy and leadership?
and response 3.2. What are the company’s approach and commitments to water stewardship?

3.3. How does the company promote stakeholder engagement, and with whom?
3.4. How does the company identify and manage water risks and realise opportunities? Including
those associated with:
a. Water quality?
b. Exposure to water stress?
c. Climate change?
3.5. Does the company set water performance targets? If so, describe what targets are set and why.
If not, outline why not.
Metrics
3.6. Present operational water reuse/recycle volumes (in megalitres) for:
a. All sites (as an aggregated total).
b. For all sites situated in water-stressed areas (as an aggregated total).

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Table 2 – Summary of ICMM water reporting metrics

Metric ICMM Definition Minimum Reporting Commitment Reporting Rationale

Metrics describing water inflows and outflows associated with the site/company

Operational Water that enters Required: Reporting of aggregated - Indicator of water dependency
Water the operational water volumes, by source type (surface and access requirements and
withdrawal system used to meet water, groundwater, seawater potential for associated risks and
the operational water and third party) and water quality opportunities (including circular
demand. category (high and low) for all sites water management and use of
within the company and for all sites low quality water).
situated in water stressed areas. - Allows transparency around
water withdrawal to meet the
operational water demand (ie for
use) and enables benchmarking.
Other Water that is actively Required: Reporting of aggregated - Indicator of holistic water
managed managed (eg physically volumes (from all sources) by water dependencies, activities and
water pumped, actively quality category (high and low) for potential for associated risks
withdrawal treated or has material all sites within the company, and for and opportunities – especially
consumptive losses) all sites situated in water-stressed in contexts where other
without intent to supply areas. managed water volumes are
the operational water high due to operating dynamics
demand. (eg dewatering activities or
community supply) or climatic
factors (eg wet weather events).
Total All water that is Required: Reporting of aggregated - Indicator of water dependency
Discharge released to the water total volumes (operational water and potential for associated risks
environment (surface plus other managed water) by and opportunities relating to the
water, groundwater destination type (surface water, downstream catchment and other
or seawater) or to a groundwater, seawater and third stakeholders (including water
third party, including party) and water quality category quality risks and circular water
operational water and (high and low) for all sites within the management opportunities).
other managed water. company and for all sites situated in
water-stressed areas.
Total All water that Required: Reporting of aggregated - Indicator of water dependency
Consumption is removed by total volumes (operational water and potential risks associated with
evaporation, plus other manager water) for all water losses.
entrainment (in sites within the company and for
product or waste) all sites situated in water-stressed
or other losses, and areas.
not released back
to surface water,
groundwater, seawater
or a third party.
Metrics describing water flows internal to the site/company

Reuse/ Water that has been Required: Reporting of aggregated - Indicator of internal water
recycle used in an operational volumes for all sites within the management practices and ability
task and is recovered company and for all sites situated in to optimise systems to reduce
and used again in an water-stressed areas. withdrawal volumes – particularly
operational task, either in water-stressed areas (where
without treatment water availability is typically low
(reuse) or with and competition for access is
treatment (recycle). high).

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 Metric ICMM Definition Minimum Reporting Commitment Reporting Rationale

Operational The volume of Recommended: Reporting of - Indicator of water dependency

water use operational water used aggregated volumes for all sites and internal water management
in operational tasks. within the company, and for all sites practices.
situated in water-stressed areas. - Provides context for
understanding withdrawal
volumes.
Delta storage The net change Recommended: Reporting of - Indicator of internal water
(∆Storage) (positive or negative) aggregated volumes for all sites management dynamics.
in the volume of water within the company and for all sites - Allows transparency of all
in storage (operational situated in water-stressed areas. elements of the water balance.
water and other
managed water) during
the reporting period.

:6 45,600
M
led
L
c
used / recy
Re

Withdrawals iMine water balance

Surface
Surfacewater
water Total consumption (evaporation,
(including
(includingprecipitation)
precipitation) entrainment and task loss)
891,000 ML
68,200
68,200ML ML 175,800 ML
required to sustain
operational activities
including:
Dust control
Groundwater Ore processing
132,400 ML Ore washing Total discharge (surface water,
Product transportation groundwater, seawater and
Waste management third parties)
Cooling 124,600 ML
Seawater 2020
25,700 ML

Third parties
10,100 ML

This image is for illustrative

Other managed water
purposes only and excludes
(dewatering and third party supply) operational water use and delta
67,200 ML
storage which are recommended
as water reporting metrics in
Table 2 but are not ICMM
Based on AngloGold Ashanti (2019). Sustainability Report 2019. p. 28. reporting commitments.

Figure 1 Water inflows and outflows and internal dynamics to the site

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together a third of the global metals and mining 34–37 Liverpool Street
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