Joining the Global Transparency Revolution - How Can Environmental Transparency Help Make Mining More Sustainable?

Jul 31, 2017 | Inga Petersen
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At first sight, ‘sustainable mining’ is the very definition of a contradiction in terms. How can an industry that digs holes in the ground, extracts mineral resources and often leaves significant environmental damage in its wake possibly be associated with sustainable development? And why would an agency like UN Environment, charged with the task of protecting the global environment, associate with the mining sector in the first place? I work as a senior extractives adviser in UN Environment’s Disasters and Conflicts branch in Geneva. The branch works on disaster risk reduction, carries out strategic assessments of post-conflict environments and conducts research into the role natural resources play as a driver of conflict and opportunity for sustaining peace. During my Masters in International Security I had studied the latter, in particular ‘blood diamonds’ fueling civil war in West Africa and other ‘conflict minerals’ financing armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I first started working in extractive industries governance for Adam Smith International, a development consultancy, followed by a fellowship with the mining and metals team at the World Economic Forum. I managed projects to reform the legislative, regulatory and institutional frameworks governing the mining sector and to facilitate public private cooperation. The aim was to help governments maximize the benefits of resource wealth for their citizens and future generations. I quickly realized that whereas a poorly managed mining sector is a recipe for conflict and environmental disasters, well-managed mining projects can be an important catalyst for sustainable development.