NEW TECH, NEW DEAL

The report examines the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' in mining, identifying key technologies such as AI, automation, and IoT that improve productivity and safety but threaten low-skilled jobs. It highlights the disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities and men, and suggests policy responses including STEM-focused skills development, revised local content requirements, and new fiscal arrangements between governments and mining firms.

• Technological innovation in mining is driven by the need to improve worker health and safety, reduce operating costs amidst economic slowdowns, and lower the cost of developing frontier assets where ore grades are declining and capital costs are rising.
• Digitalization and technological innovations are expected to increase overall productivity in the minerals industry by between 9 per cent and 23 per cent, with mining operations potentially seeing gains up to 25 per cent.
• Automation and robotics pose a significant risk to low-paid, lower-skilled, and less-educated workers performing manual, repetitive, and predictable tasks, while creating new opportunities for high-skilled labour in data analysis and digital planning.
• The impact of technological disruption is gendered; men are more likely to be disproportionately affected by job losses due to their higher representation in physical and manual roles, whereas women may find more opportunities in remote operation centres.
• Indigenous communities are more vulnerable to technological disruptions than the national average because they are over-represented in the lower-skilled jobs most at risk of automation, such as transport and equipment operation.
• Developing and resource-dependent countries face greater challenges than advanced economies in absorbing the shocks of technological disruption, as they often lack the digital infrastructure and diversified economic bases needed to redeploy displaced workers.
• New technologies are reshaping the mining value chain, leading to a shift from owning capital equipment to leasing, and allowing technology providers or automotive manufacturers to become strategic investors in mining projects.
• To mitigate labour losses, the report suggests policy shifts toward STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, lifelong learning, and 'STEAM' skills that combine scientific and foundational human skills like critical thinking and creativity.
• Governments may respond to the reduction in local employment by increasing taxes or royalties on highly automated firms, or by pursuing increased state ownership and production-sharing agreements similar to those in the oil sector.
• Environmental and social benefits can be derived from sharing mining infrastructure and 'green' technologies with local communities, such as sharing water-saving treatment plants or renewable energy generation.

APA

Ramdoo, I. (2019). NEW TECH, NEW DEAL. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/new-tech-new-deal-technology.pdf

Chicago

Ramdoo, Isabelle. NEW TECH, NEW DEAL. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/new-tech-new-deal-technology.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ramdoo |first1=Isabelle |title=NEW TECH, NEW DEAL |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=October 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/new-tech-new-deal-technology.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ramdoo2019new, author = {Ramdoo, Isabelle}, title = {{NEW TECH, NEW DEAL}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/new-tech-new-deal-technology.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }