The Social Dimension of Sustainable Development and the Mining Industry
Introduction
The settlement and development of Canada is inextricably linked to the discovery and exploitation of natural resources. Beginning with fish and fur, and continuing with minerals, petroleum, forests and other resources, Canada’s social history is closely tied to natural resources. Today, a strong natural resources sector, together with healthy manufacturing and service sectors, make for a strong economy overall.
Natural resources development, which was long characterized by an attitude of harvest and then move on to another region, is now facing the imperatives of sustainable development. First defined in Our Common Future, the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development report known as the Brundtland Report, sustainable development is becoming the operating paradigm for natural resource industries.
The Brundtland definition of sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” is well known. The concept of sustainable development as the integration of economic, environmental and social dimensions has become a model for thinking and policy-making.
The Whitehorse Mining Initiative, a process in which the mining industry, senior governments, labour unions, Aboriginal peoples and the environmental community discussed ways to seek a sustainable mining industry, endorsed sustainable development, but also went farther. It identified the fact that the social, economic and environmental dimensions are constantly changing, requiring the ability to recognize, anticipate and respond to change. Sustainable development is thus seen not as a static present state, but as an ever-changing system.
In 1996, the federal government defined sustainable development for minerals and metals in The Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada. This definition contains four elements that recognize the economic, environmental and social dimensions of minerals and metals activities while respecting the needs of resource users of the present and the future. In the Policy, "sustainable development in the context of minerals and metals is considered as incorporating the following elements:
- finding, extracting, producing, adding value to, using, re-using, recycling and, when necessary, disposing of mineral and metal products in the most efficient, competitive and environmentally responsible manner possible, utilizing best practices;
- respecting the needs and values of all resource users, and considering those needs and values in government decision-making;
- maintaining or enhancing the quality of life and the environment for present and future
generations; and - securing the involvement and participation of stakeholders, individuals and communities in decision-making."
As our understanding and implementation of sustainable development has evolved, it has become evident that more effort has been placed on the economic and environmental dimensions than on the social dimensions. This is in part due to the difficulties inherent in conceptualizing the application and measurement of the social dimension to sustainable development.
The importance of the social dimension of sustainable development has long been recognized. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which met in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992, resulted in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (the Rio Declaration). The first principle of the Rio Declaration is that “Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.”
The mining industry has an interest in sustainable development, including its social aspects. For example, the industry can contribute to continuous learning leading to innovation, to improving the health of people and the environment, and to developing vigorous diverse communities. The industry has the potential to enhance its social contribution and its influence on the Canadian social fabric, which can result in the industry receiving a social licence to operate from communities and regions.
Sustainable development has given rise to various visions of the world of the future, of possible tradeoffs and of externalities. The social fabric is changing and evolving with an increased emphasis on both communities and individuals. Through volunteerism and involvement, people are becoming more active in creating healthy, sustainable communities at the neighbourhood, municipal and regional levels within both geographical communities and communities of interest. This greater activity in communities and in the social fabric leads to an interest in examining the social impact of developments.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has prepared this discussion paper in an effort to expand the understanding of the mining industry’s contribution to and impacts on the social aspects of sustainable development in Canada. The paper deals with the domestic aspects of the social dimension of sustainable development and the mining industry. Although the important opportunities of social enhancement on the international stage for the mining industry are recognized, they are not directly dealt with in this paper. Furthermore, the paper concentrates on the national scale, recognizing that provinces and territories regulate the mining industry, but that the impact of the activities of the minerals and metals industries can be felt at the national level.
The goal of the paper is to promote discussion of social issues related to mining developments by industry, government officials and stakeholders, leading to the development of policy instruments that will ensure the social dimension is well integrated into the sustainable development of mining projects. It is hoped that the paper will also serve to inform public constituencies of the potential of mining to create social value.
The paper is divided into several sections that highlight different aspects of mining and the social dimension of sustainable development. The history of the social impact of mining in Canada is used to present the background of the discussion in the first part. The concepts related to the social dimension of sustainable development as it applies to minerals and metals development are discussed in the second part of this report. The third part of the paper deals with the risks and opportunities related to the social dimension of sustainable development faced by industry and governments.