Mining as a force for good 

Hello! Did you have a good summer?

We're back and ready to begin exploring a new theme this September: mining as a force for good.

So often, when we read or hear about mining, the industry is portrayed in a negative light. It’s usually only when things go wrong – a tailings dam collapse, workers trapped in an underground mine, a union dispute – that the majority of people learn about mining. And, unfortunately, that skews their perceptions somewhat.

In reality, mining activities have huge potential to bring prosperity to communities, to fuel development and to restore the landscape. It’s just a question of ‘doing it right’.

The Prospectors and Development Association of Canada (PDAC) puts it really well in this 2015 report: “Mining can be a force for good, if it is well managed. Discoveries can unlock wealth, and the mining-derived revenue can generate shared value for the community at large. It can transform economies and present nations, and even continents, with a different trajectory for their future.”

Mining companies are in an exceptional position in that, unlike many others who only have the potential to affect change in a few areas, most miners have the opportunity to positively contribute to all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

With power comes responsibility and, as always, some organisations are further ahead than others. Anglo American was an early mover in this respect, mapping its business strategy to the SDGs on their introduction in 2015.

Even prior to this, the company was working to decrease rates of poverty in communities in which it operates, and minimise the environmental impacts of its mines. Today, it is working towards creating carbon-neutral operations, a waterless mine, and has the overarching ambition of becoming a “materials solutions company”.

There are many other examples too. Lundin Gold’s Estamos Conectados project has improved internet infrastructure for students in rural communities close to its Fruta del Norte mine in Ecuador, as well as providing training and equipment to facilitate online learning.

These are the types of stories that I’d like to read and write. (There’s not enough good news these days is there?) So, this month on The Intelligent Miner, we’re going to be talking to experts about how mining can positively influence sustainable development, fight the effects of climate change, collaborate with communities and maximise its handprint versus footprint.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these subjects too. Drop me a line or follow The Intelligent Miner on LinkedIn for further chat and enjoy the reading list below.

Carly