Hand in hand with our local communities and organisations, we forge a path of reciprocity, empowering people and harnessing the expertise on the ground.
Our sense of responsibility.
At Iridis we recognise that the road towards truly responsible gemstone mining is long and challenging. There is much to be done. We see the challenge as an opportunity for us to set a positive example that others will choose to follow.
Our goal is to establish the Iridis tourmaline mine as an industry leader in this respect, to show what can be achieved by working in partnership with local stakeholders, providing rewarding careers, supporting communities, safeguarding resources and nurturing the environment. In the long term we intend to add more value to the area than we extract in tourmaline.
With these ambitions in mind, we have identified the Standard for Responsible Mining, a comprehensive set of guidelines developed by the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), as the global benchmark for best practice.
We are using IRMA's Standard to guide our approach to environmental, social and governance policies, and intend to have an IRMA-approved auditor independently assess our operation against the Standard.
Right images from top to bottom: Natan Nyowgai, Dorothy Kabunda.
Education and community.
We are currently exploring a partnership with Shine Zambia with a view to implementing a literacy programme to benefit the local communities near the mine, working hand-in-hand with schools to build capacity in local teachers.
Shine Zambia is a local NGO whose vision is a Zambia where every child can read and write. The charity has over 16 years' experience of delivering literacy programmes to orphans and vulnerable children, and has taught over 1,000 children how to read since inception.
Culture and environment.
We aim to implement a social protection scheme in the form of a Luano Cooperative through village banking, and will fund and promote local sport through soccer tournaments for youths.
Implementing responsible mining practices to minimise environmental impact is a key driver towards an environmentally friendly operating community – reducing waste and pollution, conserving water and energy, and protecting natural habitats and wildlife.
We are regulating energy consumption by increasing reliance on renewables and recycled materials, and offsetting negative environmental impact by planting trees and working with local environmental organisations.