Tokyo, Japan, December 5, 2025 -- Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (TSE: 5713) is pleased to announce that its Toyo Smelter & Refinery (Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan) has achieved The Copper Mark as of November 18, 2025.
The Copper Mark is an international framework established by the International Copper Association in 2019 to assure responsible production practices in the copper industry from the perspectives of environment, social, and governance (ESG). The initiatives undertaken at the Toyo Smelter & Refinery were objectively evaluated as meeting internationally recognized high standards for ESG, leading to the acquisition of this certification.
Questions around this news
What is The Copper Mark?
The Copper Mark is an international framework for responsible production practices in the copper industry. The release says it was established by the International Copper Association in 2019 and addresses environmental, social and governance considerations. It describes the framework as a means of assurance, rather than a copper product or production technology.
Which facility achieved The Copper Mark, and when?
The release reports that Sumitomo Metal Mining’s Toyo Smelter & Refinery achieved The Copper Mark on November 18, 2025. The facility is in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The announcement was published on December 5, 2025, and does not provide further details about the assessment process.
What does ESG mean in the context of this announcement?
ESG refers to environmental, social and governance considerations. In the release, these are the perspectives used to assess responsible production practices at the Toyo Smelter & Refinery. The company says the facility’s initiatives were evaluated against internationally recognized high standards in those areas before it received the certification.
What is a copper smelter and refinery?
A copper smelter uses heat and chemical processes to extract copper from ore or concentrate. A refinery then further processes the material to produce copper of greater purity. A site that combines both stages can carry out successive parts of the metal-production process at one facility.
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Sumitomo Metal Mining's Toyo Smelter & Refinery Achieved The Copper Mark
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Terms explained
- ESG
- Environmental, social and governance considerations used to assess an organization’s practices and impacts.
- Smelter
- An industrial facility that uses heat and other processes to extract metal from ore or concentrate.
- Refinery
- A facility that processes a material to remove impurities or otherwise produce a more refined product.
- Certification
- Formal recognition that a product, organization or process has been assessed against specified standards or requirements.
