The global mining industry is to launch an ambitious £3 million project next month to devise a sustainable business strategy for the sector by 2002.
The Mining, Minerals & Sustainable Development project (MMSD), which has been backed by the vast majority of the world’s largest mining companies, hopes to involve as many non-industry groups as possible. An ‘assurance group’ of stakeholders will vet the project’s final report.
Among the 25 companies committed to the project are Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Billiton (UK), BHP (Australia), Alcoa (US), EDM (Portugal), the world’s biggest copper producer, Cadelco (Chile) and De Beers (South Africa).
A steering group of nine companies approved an outline document by the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) which states that the four main objectives of the project will be to:
assess global mining and minerals use ‘in terms of the transition to sustainable development’
identify how services provided by the industry ‘can be delivered in accordance with sustainable development in the future’
propose ‘key elements for follow-up’ on how to improve the industry
build ‘a platform of analysis and engagement for ongoing co-operation and networking between all stakeholders’.
The project, which will be co-ordinated by Richard Sandbrook, a former director of the IIED, will produce a series of sub-studies and interim reports culminating in a final public report early in 2002.
The IIED is an independent policy research body.
The final report is likely to be launched at a specially convened conference on mining and sustainable development.
Efforts over the next month or so will be focused on trying to bring in non-industry sponsors for the project to ensure it is not viewed as a self-serving venture.
Rio Tinto’s corporate relations manager, Robert Court said ‘intensive’ discussions were being held with the United Nations, the World Bank, ‘plus some foundations and NGOs’, in an attempt to secure at least 40 per cent funding for the project from outside groups.
‘The idea is to involve experts and stakeholders from outside the industry so that we can produce conclusions that are supported by a whole cross-section of society,’ he said.
Court added: ‘The aim is to find out the maximum contribution that the mining industry can make to sustainable development. We have 25 of the 30 biggest mining companies signed up, so we feel that is a good start. Now we need to bring others on board.’
The outline document produced by the IIED warns that ‘bringing stakeholders inside the project will be critical not only to better define the issues at stake, but also to ensure that the results have credibility and weight.’
A chair for the project and members of the assurance group are being approached, but have not yet been confirmed.