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The Mining and Biodiversity Guideline establishes a framework for the South African mining industry to minimize ecological impacts through six core principles: applying the law, using best available biodiversity information, engaging stakeholders, employing best practice Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), applying the mitigation hierarchy, and ensuring effective implementation of Environmental Management Programmes (EMP). It categorizes biodiversity priority areas into four risk levels (A to D), ranging from legally prohibited mining zones to areas of moderate risk. The guide emphasizes a 'risk-based approach' to protect natural capital and maintain a 'social licence to operate', detailing specific requirements for each stage of the mining life cycle: reconnaissance, prospecting, production, and decommissioning/closure.