2020 Virtual undergraduate Research symposium

Sustainable Development Indicators for the Mining Industry


PROJECT NUMBER: 80

AUTHOR: Aurora Waclawski, Civil and Environmental Engineering

MENTOR: Nicole Smith, Mining Engineering | MENTOR: Sebnem Duzgun, Mining Engineering

 

ABSTRACT

Sustainability of extractive operations has been a subject of increasing concern in recent years, as companies seek to balance the competing demands of investors, governments, special interest groups, and local citizens. One challenge in implementing and communicating sustainability initiatives is the lack of consistent indicators for measuring these efforts, especially due to the dynamic nature of extractive operations. This research assembled a set of indicators designed to quantify sustainability, drawn from the academic literature and reporting frameworks, such as the Global Reporting Index (GRI). It then compared this set to indicators used by eight mining companies and eight oil and gas companies as reported in their annual sustainability reports from 2012-2018. Our findings capture reporting trends and reveal differences both between companies, as well as between mining and oil and gas. Mining companies reported on a greater proportion of indicators (52%) than oil and gas companies (45%). Categories such as closure, water consumption, and community well-being showed high temporal variability for both industries. The inconsistently reported or under-reported subjects may prevent stakeholders from understanding the full impact of extractive operations and preventing progress toward sustainable development outcomes. Thus, there is a need for an improved reporting methodology.

 

VISUAL PRESENTATION

 

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

I am a senior in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Leadership in Social Responsibility. My passion is in water and wastewater treatment, especially related to the mining industry. During my time at Mines, I have been able to have jobs doing research, design, and field work. I am originally from Homer, Alaska, so I value the outdoors and the incredible natural resources of Alaska.

 


1 Comment

  1. Very well put together, Aurora. I enjoyed watching you present today. If we had had more time, I would have loved to talk more with you about the economic drivers that potentially motivate some of the reporting (and, by effect, the sustainability efforts) in the mining industry.

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