I THINK MINING

As we head into the weekend, a recommendation for weekend reading, namely the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines & Mining and Metals Sector Supplement.  This supplement is out for comment.  It deals with:

• The control, use, and management of economic and social development
• The contribution to national economic and social development
• Community and stakeholder engagement
• Labor relations
• Environmental management
• Relationships with artisanal and small -scale mining
• An integrated approach to minerals use. 

This is very serious stuff.   We hope the mining industry makes use of it and we see a succession of reports based on the guidelines and supplement.  All too often when I access the site of a mining company, I find the last such report was so long ago that it is history not current information. 

In the present economic situation and with most mines (gold excepted) laying off people, it will be interesting to see how the spin-doctors who may be called in to produce sustainability reports will deal with the truth and the impacted communities.