Nature positive
Drive nature-positive action on biodiversity, ecosystem services and bauxite mining rehabilitation
ASI Certification
ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022) promotes the use of the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy in management systems to protect ecosystems, habitats and species and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
Key elements
- Biodiversity and ecosystem services risk and impact assessments
- Development of biodiversity action plans, with time-bound targets, in consultation with stakeholders
- Regular review of action plans, targets and progress
- For priority ecosystem services, implementation of measures to increase resource efficiency
- Maintenance of access to priority ecosystem services and retention of their values and functions.
- Implementation of strategies to prevent introduction of alien species
- “No go” commitment in World Heritage Properties
- Implementation of management plans specific to operations co-located with protected areas and restrictions on mining where specific criteria are not met.
- Good practice for bauxite mine rehabilitation, including closure planning, financial provisioning, consultation and co-operation with stakeholders, and progressive rehabilitation of disturbed areas
- Public disclosures of plans, progress and data-driven reporting
- The wide scope of issues in the ASI Performance Standard ties nature-positive action in with climate change and human rights
- The ASI Chain of Custody Standard provides a mechanism to support responsible sourcing
Beyond certification
- Partnering with the University of Sunshine Coast and The Nature Conservancy on a study on mitigating the impacts of mining on ecosystem services (ES), in a region rich in both natural capital and culture – Western Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia. Activities include identifying the ES that are most valued by Indigenous communities; mapping the distribution of these services, including plants that have significant cultural value; and comparing them to areas currently protected from mining operations.
- Working with KLIM to support the Indigenous communities in the Lower-Marowijne region of Suriname, an area subject to bauxite mining for nearly 100 years to develop an environmental and education project for the protection of their territorial lands.
Meet ASI members
“Whilst approaches to minimize and mitigate environmental loss are fundamental to reconcile economic growth and its impacts, it is also clear that it is not enough to reverse the current climate and biodiversity crisis. The concept of nature positive recognises the central role of nature in any development planning, where communities, businesses, civil society and governments need to coordinate and take action towards concrete results on the ground for restoring and protecting nature.
Nature positive requires a sound understanding of impacts and dependencies on nature, the application of the mitigation hierarchy towards positive outcomes for nature and nature-based solutions, clear traceability through raw material supply chains into markets, influence towards transformation of those connected to the aluminium value chain, and delivery of science-based targets. ASI provides an important part of the assurance and disclosure element of delivering nature positive through its standards covering biodiversity and ecosystem services management, circular economy, and chain of custody.”
– Pippa Howard, Director, Corporate Sustainability, Fauna & Flora International
LEARN MORE ABOUT FAUNA AND FLORA INTERNATIONAL
“Our mission is to leave the world better than we found it, and that extends to our commitment to protecting the environment by conserving precious resources. Partnering with the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative is a critical step in our efforts to source aluminium responsibly and advance the transition to cleaner sources across the entire industry.”
– Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives
“Our community has not seen any benefits from mining up to now. Now we are engaged with ASI through IPAF, and through this engagement, have now received funding from the mining company for a project to improve the rehabilitation of our lands.”
– Louis Biswane, Kalina and Lokono Peoples (KLIM), Suriname
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