Australian mining companies will now be required to follow stricter rules governing the impacts of their projects on First Nations communities and the environment, according to new guidelines adopted by the Minerals Council of Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Australian mining companies will now be required to follow stricter rules governing the impacts of their projects on First Nations communities and the environment, according to new guidelines adopted by the Minerals Council of Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The decision makes Australia the eighth country globally to adopt the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative, which was started by Canada. The initiative requires mining companies to consistently evaluate relationships with indigenous communities, labor practices, and environmental impacts, including energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, and tailings waste. Previous signatories include national mining associations in Finland, Argentina, Botswana, Spain, the Philippines, Brazil, and Norway.
“Trust has been discussed a lot across corporate Australia over the past few years,” Tania Constable, the chief executive of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), told The Herald. “This is how the industry can further demonstrate trust in the mining industry at a community level.”
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
