How to Advance Sustainable Mining

This policy brief examines the environmental and social challenges of the mining industry and the limitations of current international and domestic governance. It argues that achieving 'sustainable mining' requires a shift toward development partnerships, stronger community consultation, and the integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals into mining operations to mitigate the 'resource curse' and environmental degradation.

• Mining operations cause severe environmental damage, including deforestation, soil and water contamination, and habitat fragmentation. The disposal of tailings is cited as the most significant environmental impact, with production rates increasing exponentially over the last 50 years; some mines produce over 200,000 tonnes of tailings daily.
• The mining sector often creates a 'resource curse' in developing countries, where over-exploitation and weak governance lead to host communities falling into deeper poverty once mineral resources are depleted and revenues drop.
• International mining governance is limited by the principle of national sovereignty over natural resources, as codified in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and the 1992 Rio Declaration. While various UN conferences and the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) have promoted sustainable practices, no comprehensive international treaty exists.
• Domestic regulation faces significant implementation gaps due to a lack of political will, insufficient penalties, or corruption. While some regions like the US (via the Dodd-Frank Act) and the EU (via OECD frameworks) have established supply chain tracking for conflict minerals, many developing countries struggle to implement community consultation laws effectively.
• Innovative 'development partnership' models and the integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can mitigate negative impacts. Examples include the use of mining energy demand to provide power to undersupplied areas, such as the 20MW solar plant being built by Windiga Energy for the Mana mine in Burkina Faso.

APA

(Dr.),, S. M. (2021). How to Advance Sustainable Mining. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/how-advance-sustainable-mining

Chicago

(Dr.),, Suzi Malan. How to Advance Sustainable Mining. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/how-advance-sustainable-mining.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=(Dr.), |first1=Suzi Malan |title=How to Advance Sustainable Mining |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=18 October 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/how-advance-sustainable-mining |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dr2021how, author = {(Dr.),, Suzi Malan}, title = {{How to Advance Sustainable Mining}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/how-advance-sustainable-mining}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }