The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have announced a collaboration to advance the environmental dimensions of responsible mining. The partnership will focus on enhancing transparency in the mining sector and improving its environmental performance.

“[D]igital transformation and decarbonization efforts drive an unprecedented demand for minerals and metals,” a UNEP press release notes. This growing demand puts increasing pressure on the extractive industries to minimize their environmental impacts, including deforestation, land degradation, and pollution. There are also calls for better transparency regarding the extractive sector’s performance and the traceability of minerals and metals.

UNEP and IRMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a framework for cooperation and dialogue. IRMA is “a nonprofit that works to protect communities and the environment by creating financial value for mine sites whose performance is independently and transparently audited against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining.” The two organizations agreed to a strategic partnership in the exchange of expertise on responsible mining topics, including voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), multi-stakeholder governance models, and the verification of standards claims.

The collaboration will support dialogue among stakeholders and help identify best practices and gaps in the extractive sector. Platforms such as UNEP’s Digital Knowledge Hub on the Environmental Aspects of Minerals and Metals will disseminate data and research. The partnership also aims to contribute to the implementation of the guiding principles and actionable recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

In addition, the two organizations will work together to advance the work of the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, launched during the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). UNEP, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) chair the Task Force.

“Partnering with IRMA allows us to strengthen and promote best practices in responsible mining, as well as assurance and verification,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division.

“By connecting IRMA’s system with UNEP’s global mandate, we help support the implementation of the UNSG Panel’s recommendations and increase the likelihood that the materials required for the energy transition are sourced in a way that better protects both people and the planet,” highlighted said IRMA’s Policy Director Kristi Disney Bruckner.

The partnership was announced on 11 February 2026. [UNEP Press Release]