Activities

The Security Committee (SecCom) brings together security experts from the member companies to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and develop industry-wide solutions to the security challenges faced by members.

The SecCom provides a platform for interaction with law enforcement bodies on crime trends and modus operandi pertaining to theft and illegal trafficking of PGM-bearing material. SecCom frequently invites law enforcement bodies such as Interpol, Europol, and the South Africa Police Service to participate at its meetings in order to strengthen public-private-partnerships.

The Health and Environment Science Committee (HESCom) works to advance knowledge and understanding of the potential risks of PGM to human health and the environment, to support the risk assessment and safe use of PGM based on sound science.  HESCom comprises scientific experts from IPA member companies in disciplines including PGM chemistry, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, and Toxicology.  HESCom regularly supplements its expertise with that of external global experts in specific fields of relevance to its activities. 

HESCom has delivered a number of Environment- and Health-related projects. In particular, in relation to improving understanding of the risks of respiratory allergy in workers exposed to complex halogenated platinum salts (CHPS) and improving the ability to measure and control levels of these chemicals in the workplace.  Considerable effort has also been expended on advancing knowledge of the chemical speciation of platinum in the environment, through the development and application of state-of-the-art analytical chemistry techniques, which have demonstrated that levels of CHPS in the environment are vanishingly low.

The Sustainability Committee (SusCom, with sub-groups on Performance Assurance / responsible mining and sourcing, Life Cycle Assessment and Scope 3 calculations) serves as a common platform for exchange on sustainability and best practices in the fields of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.


SusCom supports the IPA member companies in acting as responsible players through encouraging sustainability thinking and communicating activities and ESG performance to stakeholders. Within the SusCom, Members openly discuss their approaches towards sustainability auditing in the supply chain and jointly generate life cycle assessment data on the environmental footprint of PGM production that is made available to stakeholders. 

The Advocacy Committee, as a source of PGM industry expertise, engages with the EU as well as other national political institutions to educate stakeholders on the PGM supply chain and on the role of PGMs in the energy transition.

The Committee’s objectives are to define and develop joint positions for the PGM industry, to inform stakeholders about PGM applications and how they can serve the global energy transition, and to promote a supportive business environment for the IPA members to thrive in.

The Committee aims to influence the development of new and existing legislation at the political level by providing comprehensive information and promoting the economic, social and environmental contribution of the PGM industry.

IPA and the Advocacy Committee contribute constructively and proactively to policies and regulations across the following main areas:

• Supply and demand of raw materials
• Sustainability
• Automotive
• Energy and climate Change
• Chemicals management