Finding the way forward: how could voluntary action move mining towards sustainable development?

This report is primarily based on a review of research into the role of voluntary activities in the mining sector. The possible development of a global voluntary initiative (or initiatives) is a theme explored here in greater detail by addressing the following questions:What are the key drivers for sustainable development in the mining industry?What could voluntary initiatives achieve in the sector?What voluntary initiatives currently exist?What form of voluntary initiative is best?The report finds that there are few similarities among the initiatives currently in use in the mining and other sectors – this may reflect tailoring of initiatives to their respective goals, but it may also indicate a lack of sharing or development between initiatives. In the mining sector, there are indications that a high degree of confusion exists about which initiatives are appropriate and useful; in some companies, a feeling of ‘initiative overload’ heightens this uncertainty.Most initiatives fall into two categories:‘Broad guiding principles’ require a low level of commitment and hence tend to attract many signatories‘Differentiation mechanisms’, with third-party assurance against well-defined performance standards, may require a significant compliance effort from companies and tend to receive a lower uptake rateArguably, initiatives of both types are struggling to deliver real change in environmental and social conditions ‘on the ground’.A real ‘net move’ towards sustainable development by any industry sector can only be achieved by initiatives that require a concrete commitment from signatories to improve performance but that also attract high uptake by fulfilling a key ‘need’ or by linking to a significant driver for business performance. Few if any initiatives fulfil these requirements at present, although many existing schemes have only recently been developed and may yet grow to fill this role. Examples include the Forest Stewardship Council, a certification scheme for sustainably sourced forest products.The mining industry cannot address the challenge of sustainable development on its own; its operations are too closely interlinked with government, communities, the financial sector, and wider societal expectations. Certification is one option, however, that could draw the industry and key stakeholders together around an agreed definition of best practice.