Freeport Obtains Copper Mark Certification: Here's What It Means

Jakarta — PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has become one of several companies to obtain Copper Mark commodity certification, a certification standard with notably rigorous assessment criteria.

According to Sudirman Widhy Hartono, Chairman General of PERHAPI (the Indonesian Mining Industry Association), multiple companies have already secured commodity certifications such as Copper Mark, with PTFI among them.

Copper Mark certification ensures that copper production processes meet high standards in environment, social, and governance (ESG) matters. “Commodity certification such as Copper Mark for copper is important in implementing good mining governance. This is because such certification ensures that copper production meets high environmental, social, and governance standards,” Widhy told CNBC Indonesia on Monday, 16 March 2026.

With Copper Mark in place, copper mining companies are required to meet strict criteria, including reducing environmental impact, respecting human rights, increasing transparency and accountability, and implementing responsible mining practices.

The certification also helps boost consumer, investor, and community confidence in the copper mining industry. Additionally, it helps companies improve their reputation and reduce operational risk.

In Indonesia, the application of certification such as Copper Mark can serve as an important instrument to enhance the quality of mining governance whilst promoting the mining sector’s contribution to sustainable development, according to Widhy.

“Moreover, Copper Mark certification is particularly important in several aspects: sustainability, transparency, and global market acceptance by strengthening competitiveness,” he said.

Copper Mark is an international certification framework in the mining industry designed to ensure that the production of metals, particularly copper, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc, is conducted responsibly from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspectives.

Established in 2019 in England by the International Copper Association, obtaining Copper Mark requires mining operations to pass an independent assessment against 33 criteria.