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Sectors

Mining and Extraction

About this sector

Mining involves the extraction of minerals from the Earth’s crust, including coal, metal ores, rock, industrial minerals, and gemstones. The industry is an important economic activity in many countries and central to modern industrial societies, supplying raw materials for, amongst other things, energy production, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, communication, household goods, and medicines.

Impacts

  • Habitat loss and fragmentation through surface mining and creation of waste rock dumps.
  • Pollution of habitats and water supplies from chemical contamination and solid waste (tailings).
  • Excessive water withdrawal that can impact on local water systems.
  • Alteration of creeks, rivers, and watershed regimes.
  • Increased access to sensitive and remote areas.
  • Green House Gases emissions.

Opportunities/Risks

  • Reputation: managing biodiversity can contribute to a good reputation among local communities, governments and other stakeholders, helping secure a license to operate.
  • Access and cost of capital: helping compliance with loan requirements from financial institutions.
  • New markets: certification schemes are developing for responsibly mined products e.g. the Responsible Jewellery Council.

Case Studies


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Ecosystem services review of an aluminum smelter in a biosphere reserve

Ecosystem services review of an aluminum smelter in a biosphere reserve

Alcoa is a world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. The Company employs 63,000 people in 31 countries. Alcoa Canada employs 4,235 employees (3,603 in Quebec) and runs four plants with an annual production capacity of over one million metric tons of ingots, castings, billets and aluminum rods: Baie-Comeau, Bécancour (held at 25% by Rio-Tinto Alcan) and Deschambault smelters, as well as the Bécancour Rod Plant. The company also runs 13 transformation facilities in Canada and owns a monitory share of a hydropower facility in Canada.

Land use stewardship standard implementation in facilities worldwide implementation in facilities worldwide

Land use stewardship standard implementation in facilities worldwide implementation in facilities worldwide

Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) is one of five product groups operated by Rio Tinto, a leading international mining group. It is a global supplier of quality bauxite, alumina and aluminum and operates 42 sites over the world (bauxite mines, smelter-grade alumina refineries, specialty alumina plants, smelters, power facilities), employing 24,000 people in 27 countries. RTA owns, operates or has interests in 6 bauxite mines and deposits in 4 countries, 10 alumina refineries in 5 countries, including 1 in Canada, 23 smelters in 10 countries, including 7 in Canada and 12 power stations in 4 countries. RTA operates 19 sites in Canada (including 7 hydro power plants and 4 supporting facilities) and employs 8,300 people in Canada.

The regreening of Sudbury and the 2009 Biodiversity Action Plan for Greater Sudbury

The regreening of Sudbury and the 2009 Biodiversity Action Plan for Greater Sudbury

Vale Inco, one of the largest mining companies in the world, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Brazilian mining company Vale. It is Vale’s nickel division, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It produces nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, gold, and silver. Vale Inco operates in 40 countries and employs over 11,000 people worldwide (close to 7,000 employees in Canada). Sales in 2008 reached almost $8 billion US. In Canada, Vale Inco operates two wholly integrated mining milling smelting and refining complexes, an electrocobalt refinery and precious metals processing facility and a mine and mill concentrator facility. Vale Inco has recently begun construction on an additional nickel processing facility and operate two research and technology facilities where 90% of worldwide research is carried out.

The biodiversity challenge at Xstrata Canada Operations

The biodiversity challenge at Xstrata Canada Operations

Xstrata plc is a global diversified mining company, with operations and projects in 19 countries. Xstrata’s activities are organised into five global commodity businesses and a technology business, each of which operates with a high level of autonomy. Xstrata Nickel, Xstrata Copper and Xstrata Zinc have signifi cant interests in Canada, including exploration, development, mining, mineral processing, smelting and recycling operations and projects. In Canada Xstrata operates 8 mines, 7 metallurgical sites (including smelters and refineries) and manages 9 closed sites.


Tools and Mechanisms


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Öko-Tex Standard 100

Öko-Tex Standard 100

http://www.oeko-tex.com/OekoTex100_PUBLIC/index.as...

The Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 for textile products provides a scientifically-founded evaluation standard for the human ecological safety of textiles, from the raw material to the finished product, against the background of the globalized and extremely fragmented nature of the textile manufacturing chain.
Biodiversity Neutral Initiative

Biodiversity Neutral Initiative

http://www.business-biodiversity.eu/default.asp?Me...

Biodiversity Neutral Initiative (BNI) helps companies assess biodiversity impacts, implement best practices with respect to the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy and then offset net residual damage to become biodiversity neutral. Biodiversity Neutral Initiative (BNI) is global in scope, collaborating with major international conservation groups, energy and mining companies, socially responsible investors, auditing and certification companies, and government regulators.
Business for a better world

Business for a better world

http://www.bsr.org/

Business for a better world helps companies integrate ecosystem services into corporate decision making, risk assessment, and supply chain management processes. It has produced an analysis of the environmental markets and is investigating ecosystem services assessment tools.
GRI Oil & Gas sector supplement

GRI Oil & Gas sector supplement

https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-g...

The Oil and Gas Sector Supplement (O&GSS) provides organizations in the sector with a tailored version of GRI’s G3.1 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. It includes the original Guidelines, which set out the Reporting Principles, Disclosures on Management Approach and Performance Indicators for economic, environmental and social issues. The Supplement’s additional commentaries and Performance Indicators, developed especially for the sector, capture the issues that matter most for oil and gas companies.
International Lead Association (ILA)

International Lead Association (ILA)

http://www.ila-lead.org/

ILA member companies have their own published sustainability policies with detailed activities and stated goals, and collectively subscribe to the principles of the shared Lead Action 21 programme. Through this, they aim to ensure the safe and sustainable production and use of lead while minimising operational impact on the natural environment. Additional information is provded on life cycle assessment; case studies, and recycling.

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Mining and Extraction

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