A social license to operate? Achieving transparency for mining impacts
Published date: 29 March 2023
Medium article by Noora Puro, Sector Standards Manager
While minerals are intrinsic to global development and can pave the way for a low-carbon economy, the impacts of their extraction are disproportionately felt by the local communities living in the vicinity of operations. Responding to this situation, through comprehensive and transparent reporting, is a central premise of a proposed new GRI Standard for the mining sector.
In this article for Medium, Noora Puro explores the importance of mining companies taking responsibility for their impacts on communities, balancing social impacts with the opportunities that mining operations can bring:
When it comes to accountability for mining impacts, community is key
If relations with local communities are managed with an eye towards transparency and shared benefits – with vigilance to avoid, mitigate and remediate negative impacts – mining operations can be a source of positive change. Rather than looking at risks that communities or vulnerable groups might pose to the mining company as a potential trigger for conflict or operational delays, our draft Standard focuses on to how organizations can create value for the people whose lands they are using to extract resources from.”
Noora Puro, Standards DivisionThe exposure draft for the GRI Mining Sector Standard is out for public comment until 30 April. Let us know if it supports the reporting needed to address the sector’s impacts, in order to help stakeholders make well-informed decisions and improve sustainability performance by companies.