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FOR MINING companies in Canada and
across the globe, getting a handle on the "E" of
ESG (environmental, social, and governance)
issues has long been part of their corporate
makeup. However, while that still holds,
lawyers who work with mining companies on
ESG issues say there is growing emphasis on
the "S" and "G."
"We're seeing that the focus of mining
companies has adapted from simply meeting
environmental standards to looking at broader
matters of environmental stewardship," says
Robin Longe, a natural resources lawyer in the
Vancouver office of Dentons Canada LLP. "At
the same time, there's a lot more discussion
going on about what sustainability means,
discussion that extends far beyond climate
change and the environment."
Since humans began mine operations,
there have been concerns about projects
creating environmental issues. Potential water
contamination, mine tailings, the overall envi-
ronmental impact of a project, and what is
le when resources deplete are all concerns.
However, that is changing as corporate social
responsibility evolves to recognize all forms
of sustainability and their importance to the
company's and world's health.
"In the past, the focus has always been on
the 'E' in ESG in the extractive industries," says
Brad Cahoon, based in Salt Lake City with
Dentons. But now, he says, "Sustainability is
also being considered from the perspective of
social elements, such as labour and governance
goals that highlight diversity and inclusion."
e concepts behind the three letters of
ESG are now getting something close to equal
billing, Cahoon says, with recent significant
concerns for mining companies including
limiting water use, purchasing power from
renewable energy providers, and partnering
with Indigenous peoples. ese go far beyond
the potential direct damage a mining project
can have on the environment.
Shifting goals and challenges
According to an EY (Ernst & Young)
survey with C-suite executives in the mining
and metals industry, disruption is quickly
reshaping the mining and metals sector's
perception of where the most significant
MINING AND
ESG: A NEW
STANDARD
Feature
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN PART OF SUSTAINABLE MINING,
BUT THE SECTOR IS NOW GIVING EQUAL
BILLING TO SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE
GOALS LIKE DIVERSITY, HUMAN RIGHTS,
AND CONSULTATION
