Publications by Tag: Mining
Blog
What Conflict Minerals Regulation Means on the Ground
Amaya Gorostiaga, Manager, Advisory Services
I recently returned from a trip to Kigali, Rwanda, where I attended a regional conference on mineral certification—an effort to create responsible supply chains for “conflict minerals” mined from the African Great Lakes Region. Through the discussions, I learned where the region stands on promoting transparency and good governance in the artisanal and small-scale mining sectors, and the implications that recent legislative efforts would have on companies operating in, or sourcing from, the region. Read more
What the U.S. Legislation on Conflict Minerals Means for the Private Sector
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
The U.S. financial reform legislation signed into law yesterday includes a provision requiring publicly traded companies to report on their use of “conflict minerals”—including gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten—whose trade helps fund armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Read more
Conflict Minerals and Supply Chain Scrutiny
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Two recent events on opposite sides of the United States will have significant implications for industries ranging from high-tech electronics and aircraft engines to commodities like cans and cutting tools, whose supply chains source minerals like gold and ores containing tantalum, tin, and tungsten. In Washington, D.C., the financial reform legislation passed by a House-Senate conference committee early June 25 included a provision requiring companies to publicly report on their use of so-called “conflict minerals” from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries. And in California’s Silicon Valley, the trustees of Stanford University have voted to support shareholder resolutions on the same subject. Read more
The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: What It Means for CSR
Michael Oxman, Director, Advisory Services
I’ll admit it. I fell in love with the oil industry many years ago—a bunch of scientists running around studying rocks, working in fascinating environments, interacting with diverse cultures, and building facilities in unfathomable places that deliver energy around the world. But I am not blind to the energy challenges, which explains how I ended up after many years in the industry at my current BSR position—helping the oil and gas industry tackle sustainability issues in increasingly complex political, social, and environmental settings. The latest crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, with its tragic loss of life and related impacts on the environment and livelihoods, is a clear reminder of the ongoing work that is needed. Read more
BSR Insight Articles
Burning at Both Ends: Understanding Energy’s Two Major—and Opposite—Climate Trends
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
Recently, Bank of America and Citigroup were both labeled the “greenest” banks while another group called them the “filthiest.” The first name was for investing in clean energy and reducing emissions from operations, while the latter was for providing financial support to carbon-intensive energy such as coal. Read more
Bettercoal Launches to Advance CSR in the Coal Supply Chain
Angie Farrag, Manager, Advisory Services
Bettercoal, a global, not-for-profit initiative supporting the continuous improvement of corporate responsibility in the international coal supply chain, launched last week. Read more
2012: Sustainability Steams Ahead in Uncertain Times
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
History moved fast in 2011, even as the economy was stuck in neutral, and 2012 promises to be a wild ride. Exactly how it will play out is hard to say. 2011 provides ample evidence of how difficult it is to foresee specific changes: Last January, few anticipated the Arab Spring, and Hosni Mubarak was ejected from office before the end of February. And early in 2011, any mention of the "Occupy Movement” was more likely to be considered a good name for a new indie rock band than one of the most potent political forces seen in years. Read more
New Guide to Effective Local Content Programs
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
IPIECA—a global oil and gas industry association focused on social and environmental issues—released a guide to help companies design and execute local content strategies in the countries where they operate. Local content is defined by the value that companies bring to host countries by employing and training the local workforce and developing and procuring supplies and services locally. Read more
Managing Biodiversity in the Extractives Sector
A new report by the Natural Value Initiative details the potential risks facing the extractives industry as a result of its reliance on natural resources. Read more
Climate Change Adaptation: Building Resiliency
Tiffany Finley, Associate, Advisory Services
Today, BSR is releasing the final four industry briefs in its “Climate Change Adaptation” series, which provides insight on climate-related risks and opportunities, actions companies are taking, and recommendations for how companies can lead their industries’ adaptation measures. Read more
The Future of Business-NGO Relationships
In my new role as BSR’s Director of Stakeholder Collaboration, I am focused on building relationships with NGO colleagues globally to bring their insights to our member companies and develop next-generation stakeholder engagement approaches that are outcome based and take into account trends in the field. BSR created this position to deepen relationships with civil society and foster collaboration between stakeholders and business. Read more
Evaluating the Socioeconomic Benefits of Mining
The International Council on Mining and Metals launched a toolkit that provides companies, civil society, and government with a framework to evaluate the socioeconomic benefits of mining at local, regional, and national levels. The toolkit—which has been tested in Chile, Ghana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Peru, and Tanzania—is designed to encourage collaboration among a range of stakeholders on six focus areas: poverty reduction; economic development as it relates to revenue management, regional development planning, and local content; social investment; and dispute resolutions. Read more
The Economic Implications of Resource Scarcity
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
Last week in Toronto, Canada, the World Economic Forum hosted a roundtable on the role of capital and investment in shaping the future of natural resource availability. Participants from mining, agriculture, government, and the investment community discussed how corporate responsibility—and issues such as transparency and local economic development in particular—have created additional costs associated with resource extraction, distribution, and consumption. In particular, attendees emphasized the importance of investing in people to increase their CSR knowledge. Read more
Why Is Living Wage So Complex?
Roger McElrath, Manager, Advisory Services
Ever since the United Nations adopted its new human rights framework, companies have had an added impetus to ensure that the treatment of their employees, workers in supply chain partners, and people in local communities is just and in accordance with international standards. Read more
Social Impact Assessments Help Companies Manage Risks and Opportunities
Alison Colwell, Manager, Advisory Services
With growing stakeholder expectations and increasingly complex operating environments, leading companies recognize the need for a more comprehensive approach to understanding and managing project risks and opportunities that moves beyond regulatory requirements. Social impact assessments (SIA)—the process of analyzing, monitoring, and managing social issues such as resettlement and access to water—can help companies reduce risks, enhance operational decision-making, improve stakeholder relations, maximize community benefits, and secure a company’s license to operate. Read more
Explore Our Impact: Videos
Take a deeper dive into the BSR Report 2010 and core areas of our work in video clips that provide personal perspective from BSR staff members. Read more
Building Effective Local Content Strategies
Jessica Davis Pluess, Manager, Advisory Services
BSR's new report highlights some of the challenges and opportunities extractives companies face in building local content programs that drive commercial value and deliver sustainable local development benefits in countries where they operate. Read more
Conducting Site-Level Human Rights Impact Assessments
Alejandra Martin, Manager, Advisory Services
Although more than 270 companies have human rights policy statements in place, few have implemented the policies, and even fewer have conducted human rights impact assessments at the site level. These assessments are particularly relevant for companies operating in remote areas where local governments and civil society have limited experience interacting with the private sector. Read more
Operating Locally: BSR’s Three-Step Approach to Delivering Lasting Value
Michael Oxman, Director, Advisory Services
Leading energy and extractive companies continue to develop new approaches to ensuring benefits to local communities and other key stakeholders from large capital projects and ongoing operations. These benefits include economic opportunities such as employment and the procurement of goods and services from local suppliers as well as benefits from social investments in education, health, and other community areas of need. Read more
Closer Look: Understanding Land Deals in Africa
The International Institute for Environment and Development's new guide to understanding land deals in Africa explores the significant impacts land contracts have on agriculture and food security in recipient countries. Land contracts define the terms of an investment project, and particularly how risks, costs, and benefits are distributed and who has the authority to sign the contract and through what process. Read more
Women and Sustainability: Integrating Women Into Your Business and Sustainability Strategies
Racheal Yeager, Manager, HERproject
Growth in women’s income, education levels, and labor participation rates makes them essential participants in the global economy, and engagement with women and girls increasingly critical to sustainable growth for every industry. Women contribute to the private sector’s social license to operate; market, crop, and supply chain stability; a talented and stable employee base; and market growth and innovation. Additionally, investments in women have a multiplier effect, as women are more likely to reinvest in education, health, and economic activities at the community level. Read more
Will Old Europe Become the New World of Sustainability in 2011?
Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
European companies, government officials, and civil society representatives have tended to scoff at their American cousins’ approach to sustainability, and also at the perceived fundamental disregard for the environment and human rights in BRIC countries. But as we make our way into 2011, I sense a shift in Europe toward a more somber mood, similar to the sobriety that comes to a soccer team the day after an unexpected defeat by a mignon competitor: heads down, feet dragging, and a realization that something different has to be done. Read more
State of Green Business 2011
GreenBiz's fourth annual "State of Green Business" report presents the top 10 trends and 20 indices for measuring how well companies are improving their environmental performance. According to the report, green business did not die during the recession; rather, companies are diving deeper and investing in longer-term sustainability initiatives. Read more
Biodiversity Conservation and Human Development
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
The private sector is recognized as an essential actor in supporting development and poverty reduction, and companies themselves are increasingly recognizing the business opportunities associated with engaging in development challenges. However, the complex interrelationship between poverty and biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) requires that companies take an integrated perspective to these issues in order to make a positive contribution to the sustainable development of host communities. Yet, today many companies have programs that support biodiversity conservation and separate programs that support local economic development, and in some cases these programs are in conflict. To make positive contributions to sustainable development, companies need to integrate the objectives of these programs and unlock the synergies among business, conservation, and poverty reduction. Read more
Measuring Environmental Performance: The Business Case for New Tools
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research; Sissel Waage, Senior Advisor
For years, environment and natural resource managers have been tracking individual parameters linked to air pollution, water, and energy consumption. Specific indicators are identified, measured, and trends tracked. Private, public, and nonprofit organizations have been diligently measuring water used, greenhouse gases emitted, waste averted or recycled, and many other individual metrics. Yet, academic, nonprofit, and public sectors are now placing greater attention on ecological systems. A set of tools to help companies take a systems approach is evolving, but to achieve significant uptake, the business case for these tools needs to be clearly demonstrated. BSR’s Environmental Services, Tools & Markets (ESTM) Working Group is working with member companies to define and articulate this case. Read more
Conflict Minerals, Supply Chains, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Recently, BSR and the shareholder advocacy organization As You Sow convened companies, NGOs, investors, and government entities to highlight the connections between the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the trade in minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold) from that region, and industries—ranging from electronics and energy to canned goods and cutting tools—using those minerals. Read more
Building Effective Local Content Programs in the Extractives Industry
At a recent event in Paris, BSR brought global oil and gas companies and industry service providers together to share emerging best practices in the management of "local content"—the procurement of materials, goods, and services made in-country rather than imported. Local content is one of the most important contributions the extractives industry can make to economic development and to maintaining a secure social operating license. Read more
Considering the Big Picture
By Linda Hwang, Manager, Research & Innovation, BSR; Kit Armstrong, Senior Advisor, BSR; and Sissel Waage, Senior Advisor, BSR
In its 2008 corporate responsibility report, the Walt Disney Company made a pioneering commitment that the company will have a “net positive impact on ecosystems.” As part of this strategy, Disney will develop habitat and restoration solutions based on ecosystem impacts identified during the design-review process of new projects. In a similar fashion, some government agencies have begun to place more emphasis on ecosystems as a whole, as opposed to single environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has oriented its research agenda around ecosystem services, and the European Environment Agency began investing heavily in ecosystem services research and tools to aid its decision-making for management of environmental issues. Read more
Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation
Imagine that when you buy a pair of jeans you’re offered an agreement to sign before you pay: “I hereby promise to cold-wash, line-dry this clothing item, and own it for at least three years or ensure it is given away for someone else to enjoy.” When you sign, you are rewarded instantly with a coupon for cash back. The rebate is the estimated financial value of the carbon-dioxide emissions you save by avoiding hot-water washing, and by machine drying your jeans over the lifespan of the item. The clothing company is able to provide this discount by aggregating its consumers’ carbon credits and selling them on the open market. This model provides financial incentives for both the clothing company and the consumer to alter behavior. Read more
Indigenous People and Business: Meeting Expectations
Chris Nolan, Manager, Advisory Services
With 370 million indigenous people worldwide, international standards defining the basic rights of these people—including the ILO 169, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the International Finance Corporation's Performance Standard 7—are increasingly relevant for industries such as extractives, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Read more
Not Just for Heavy Emitters: Why Climate Change Matters to Every Company
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Recently, BSR has fielded inquiries from a range of member companies asking how climate change is relevant to their business. The timing of these questions is obvious: With prospective climate change legislation and policy discussions in the United States and elsewhere, intensive international negotiations culminating later this year, and ongoing stakeholder interest, companies are scrambling to develop or boost their climate change strategies, assess their internal and supply chain emissions, and examine the potential risks and opportunities throughout their operations, value chain, and industry. Read more
Report Identifies Goods Produced with Child or Forced Labor
Faris Natour, Director, Human Rights
The U.S. Department of Labor's International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) identified 122 goods from 58 countries that are produced in violation of international labor standards regarding forced and child labor. Read more
Human Rights and Public Policy
Faris Natour, Director, Human Rights
The recently introduced Congo Conflict Minerals Act, a proposed U.S. law aimed at increasing transparency in the sourcing of minerals tied to civil war and used in many electronics, is the latest sign of renewed government interest in business and human rights. Human rights challenges for companies typically emerge when governments fail to fulfill their duty to protect their citizens’ rights, either willfully or for lack of resources. To help close these governance gaps, responsible public policy should be a key component of every company’s human rights strategy. BSR recommends that companies take the following steps: Read more
Events
Engaging with local communities through Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
This workshop is part of the BSR series Global Frameworks and Company Responses: Building Shared Value in a Complex World.
The UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognized the need for free, prior and informed consent by Indigenous Peoples in the event of any potential relocation and/or restitution. For example, with over 60% of the gold extracted today found on Indigenous territories, some Indigenous rights organizations have attempted to clarify and operationalize the concept, and fewer companies have attempted to develop a policy around it. Yet, several countries with substantial Indigenous populations have enacted laws requiring FPIC for extractive projects and most recently, the IFC has incorporated it to its revised standards.
Learn moreBuilding Effective Local Content Strategies
This workshop is part of the BSR series Global Frameworks and Company Responses: Building Shared Value in a Complex World.
Delivering local benefits in the communities where energy companies operate is no longer a choice. It is a commercial necessity—and one that is increasingly mandated by law. After nearly two decades working with companies multiple industries and regions, BSR has learned that the key to success is to deliver both development value for the community and commercial value for the company.
Learn moreBSR Conference 2011: Leadership Required
Leadership in business is changing fast. In today’s global, integrated, and transparent world, business is expected to do more than deliver shareholder returns. At its best, business is a creative force and an integral player in delivering prosperity for 9 billion people, applying game-changing technologies for social benefit, and radically reducing our use of natural resources. Learn more
Human Rights and Transnational Enterprises
Practical applications of the UN’s Guiding Principles on Human Rights for companies in the Extractives, Infrastructure and Primary Materials Sectors. This workshop is part of the BSR series Global Frameworks and Company Responses: Building Shared Value in a Complex World. Learn more
ESG Investment and Implications for the Energy and Extractives Sector
Following our Sustainability Matters webinar on integrating ESG issues into investor relations, BSR will host a webinar for energy and extractives members to discuss the implications of these trends on the sector. Given increasing attention from both mainstream and socially responsible investors, there is a critical need to understand investor expectations as well as explore potential impacts on company management. Learn more
Reports
Adapting to Climate Change: A Guide for the Mining Industry
This primer on climate change adaptation in the mining industry summarizes how mining companies are reporting on climate change risks and opportunities. Key risks and opportunities include disturbance to mine infrastructure and operations, changing access to supply chains and distribution routes, challenges to worker health and safety conditions, challenges to environmental management and mitigation, more pressure points with community relations, exploration, and future growth. The brief outlines current and emerging best practices and guidance for mining companies on how to develop a proactive approach to climate change adaptation, and makes recommendations. Read more
Maximizing Benefits From a Sustainable Supply Chain
Leading companies are working to improve the social and environmental performance of their supply chains by building closer relations with suppliers, developing supplier capacity, and identifying and investing in opportunities for improvements along the supply chain. Read more
Communicating on Climate Policy Engagement
Public policy engagement has rapidly become a crucial aspect of reporting on climate change. While reporting on direct climate impacts and on risks and opportunities remains important, environmental advocates and other stakeholders are calling on companies to demonstrate how they are playing a role in climate policy development. In response, a growing number of companies are reporting on their climate policy engagement efforts, and emerging third-party measurement frameworks are providing a basis for comparison Read more
Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation
Business leaders face not only the economic fallout of the financial crisis, they face the substantial challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon economy that is constrained by dwindling natural resources. These pressures also represent opportunities to innovate new business models—including ones that help consumers make sustainable choices. Read about four categories of innovation that, with more development and experimentation, will ensure business success in a reset world. Read more
Case Studies Report
BSR Membership: A Global Network of Sustainability Leaders
BSR is proud to support and partner with our powerful network of member companies, who share with us a focus on building a just and sustainable world. We work every day to provide our member companies with value based on the insights, expertise, and relationships we’ve built through years of hands-on work in the field. Learn more
Leading Business Action on Conflict Minerals
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where armed conflict has claimed more than 5.4 million lives over the past 15 years, militant groups controlling most of the region’s mines use the trade in tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold as important sources of funding. At the same time, this trade—which feeds into complex supply chains for products ranging from cell phones and cutting tools to jet engines and jewelry—is an important source of income for a million people in the region. Learn more
IAMGOLD: Integrating Human Rights Management Throughout the Business
BSR’s internal team of human rights and extractives-industry experts worked with key IAMGOLD staff to scope a multilevel training on the full spectrum of human rights relevant to mining operations. BSR developed interactive presentations, as well as facilitators’ guides and reference materials, for two levels of human rights trainings to be incorporated into a formal program for company staff and contractors. Learn more
Sino Gold Implements Action Plan for Community Development in China
Sino Gold's Jinfeng Mine is an Australian-operated joint venture with the Chinese government that entered production in May 2007. Sino Gold sought guidance on how to build its "social license to operate" by promoting long-term community development in the five remote villages surrounding the mine in the mountains of southern China. Sino Gold contacted BSR for advice on the design of a community development strategy that would go beyond traditional public relations or social marketing efforts to promote real, tangible improvements in people's quality of life. Learn more
Ghana Responsible Mining Alliance
Ghana is the second largest gold producing country in Africa, and the majority of its population suffers from basic developmental needs. There is a history of conflict around the mining sector in the country and a perception that local communities receive fewer benefits than they should. Two major gold mining companies and USAID/Ghana collaborated to create a tri-partite Global Development Alliance (GDA) aimed at improving the lives of Ghanaians in mining communities. Together they sought the help of BSR professionals to assess the internal capacity of alliance partners and to define key focus areas for Alliance activities. Learn more
Sustainability Matters
Preparing for the 2011 Proxy Voting Season
Proxy voting is an important tool that many investors use to show their support for ESG issues, with a goal of garnering attention for areas they view as critical to a company's business.
Learn moreBSR Review
Women and Sustainability
In response to a question about Saudi Arabia's economic competitiveness in 2007, Bill Gates famously announced to the gender-segregated audience: "If you're not fully utilizing half the talent in the country, you're not going to get too close to the top." View email publication
Other Publications & Events Tagged, Mining
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- Sustainability Matters [ 1 ]
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