From the Whitehorse Mining Initiative Towards Sustainable Mining: lessons learned

Much debate has taken place within the mineral policy community about whether or not meaningful progress has been made towards more sustainable practices. This paper investigates the changing approaches towards sustainable development undertaken by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) over a period of approximately 20 years. The analysis begins in the early 1990s when MAC initiated the Whitehorse Mining Initiative (WMI) and concludes in 2010 when the association was operating under a strategy entitled Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM). The goal is to consider the nature of the learning that has taken place towards sustainability within the mineral industry using the case of a leading national mining association. The investigation was undertaken through a literature review as well as key informant interviews with stakeholders affected by the Canadian Mining Industry. Findings suggest that MAC’s approach to sustainable development has shifted from an ambitious and holistic partnership involving a range of stakeholders to a focused, member-specific agenda that addresses a few performance issues. The transition to TSM was based on lessons learned through working with the WMI and subsequent efforts. It reflects broader corporate tendencies to address social and ecological issues through corporate social responsibility initiatives. The implications of these trends suggest that voluntary initiatives in and of themselves should not be expected to replace the comprehensive regulatory responsibilities historically provided by government.