The RMI Report 2020 highlights a disconnect between company-wide policies and standards versus on-the-ground actions at mine sites, where the impacts of mining are most evident. The 38 companies in scope often show little or no evidence of sharing mine-site-level information on issues of strong public interest for neighbouring communities, workers, governments and investors. Likewise, there is scant evidence of companies engaging with local stakeholders on these issues, which include for example local procurement, grievance mechanisms or air and water quality. Of the 180 individual mine sites assessed, only one site scores more than 50 percent, while 145 sites score less than 20 percent and 45 sites score zero on all 10 indicators. None of the companies shows consistent performance across the mine sites they own or operate.
Besides this apparent disconnect, many of the world’s largest mining companies risk the perception that they are ‘SDG-washing’ through selective reporting of their impacts on these universal goals. According to the RMI Report 2020, companies often highlight in their Sustainability Reports the positive contributions they make to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while generally omitting any mention of negative impacts that would impede achievement of the SDGs. This one-sided reporting fails to present stakeholders with a true picture of the challenges the mining sector faces in its support of the SDGs.
LIST OF COMPANIES ASSESSED IN THE RMI 2020
Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, Antofagasta, ArcelorMittal, Banpu, Barrick Gold Corp, BHP, Buenaventura, Bumi Resources, China Shenhua, Coal India, CODELCO, ERG, Evraz, Exxaro Resources, First Quantum Minerals, Fortescue, Freeport-McMoRan, Glencore, Gold Fields, Grupo México, Industrias Peñoles, MMG, Navoi MMC, Newcrest Mining, Newmont, NMDC, Nordgold, Orano, Peabody Energy, Polymetal, Rio Tinto, RUSAL, Sibanye-Stillwater, Teck, Vale, Vedanta Resources, Zijin.
Biography
Pierre De Pasquale is the Head of Stakeholder Engagement at the Responsible Mining Foundation (RMF), which he joined in 2016. RMF is an independent research organisation that encourages continuous improvement in responsible mining across the industry by developing tools and frameworks, sharing public-interest data and enabling informed and constructive engagement between mining companies and other stakeholders. Prior to joining RMF, Pierre worked in mines across three continents as a mining engineer specialised in blasting and technical optimisation. He studied at ICAM Lille and the University of Manchester and holds an MSc in engineering.
Responsible Mining Foundation, Switzerland, pierre.depasquale@responsibleminingfoundation.org
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