A new paper examines what responsible mining actually is and offers a guide to corporations wanting more information on how to become responsible.
Photo: IFC-supported mining project in Katanga Province
From the executive summary:
“Better mining corporations want to adopt ‘Responsible Mining’. This paper outlines what responsible mining actually is and offers a guide to corporations wanting more information on how to become responsible.
“Eight principles are outlined on how to become responsible: (1) Social and environmental assessment, (2) Transparency, (3) Acceptance by stakeholders, (4) Food production trumps questionable mining, (5) Compliance with international standards (6) Corporate prequalification before permitting (7) Insurance and performance bonds (8) Royalties, taxes and fees.
“These principles are followed by a discussion of No-Go Zones to mining: which sites are off-limits to all mining and why. The Annex on Compensatory Offsets suggests that, on occasion, there may be some exceptions to a No-Go Zone.”
Responsible Mining: The Key to Profitable Resource Development, World Bank, Bank Information Center, April 2012