This module covers the vital industry issues of corporate social responsibility, social license to operate, stakeholder engagement and political factors that affect mining decisions. The module explores how environmental impact is measured, monitored and controlled, and what sustainability means in the context of mining. It also explores international and local mining legislation, expectations of local people in mining regions, and the long and short term impacts of mining on local and national scale with a particular focus on the social, economic and environmental impacts of mine closure.

You must have completed Modules CSMM177, CSMM178 and CSMM179 before starting this module and will also use the knowledge, concepts and terminology of the mining lifecycle introduced in these to help complete CSMM180.

Mines can only be developed where the mineral deposits occur, and this means that large scale infrastructure development and mining activities are established in widely differing countries, cultures, and environments. This module will focus on how mining operations, their activities and people, affect those around it, particularly within the growing agenda of resource nationalism. A sustainable mining operation needs to earn and maintain its social licence to operate.

You will gain a broad understanding of mining legislation, sustainability, environmental, social and economic impacts, stakeholder engagement, CSR initiatives and particularly the challenges caused by mine closure.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

1. evaluate principles of mine closure and the socio-environmental impacts of mining

2. explain issues of sustainability, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and governance

 

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

3. summarize social and environmental issues associated with mining

 

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

4. present written information

5. plan and manage self-study time and tasks

6. access additional, computer-based independent study resources in support of the syllabus

The module will explore the environmental and social impacts of mining and the environmental and social impact assessment methodology.  The economic opportunities and impacts presented by mining will also be examined including the increasing requirements for downstream and sidestream economic activity through value added operations being based in mining countries. The resource nationalism agenda will be reviewed and its impact on mining companies and countries.

The module will discuss the concepts and perspectives on sustainable development including an overview of global standards, strategic drivers, historic legacies and mining accidents.

The module will look at the principles of mine closure and examples of how the process should be managed. Social License to Operate (SLO), mining politics and indigenous people issues will be analysed. Mining best practice will be examined including transparency, accountability and stakeholder engagement with relation to international policy trends and mineral governance.

The module will conclude with a summary of the mining lifecycle, the mining value chain and the inter-relationships between all of their components.

Unit 1: Environmental and social impacts of mining

Unit 2: Economics impacts of mining (downstream and side stream investments)

Unit 3: Mine closure and remediation

Unit 4: Corporate social responsibility and the license to operate

All referral marks are capped at 50%.

Basic reading:

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

A list of web resources and academic papers are available through ELE. In addition, the course site contains comprehensive online resources including lectures, PowerPoint presentations, documents and reference material in pdf format, mp3 podcasts, videos, e-tivities, discussion boards; and links to the University of Exeter electronic library and its comprehensive resources.

Web based and Electronic Resources:

Module is largely delivered by a dedicated ELE website that also involves links to external corporate, professional, educational websites and YouTube.   

Breaking New Ground: Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development - http://www.iied.org/mmsd-final-report

International Council on Mining & Metals website - http://www.icmm.com/

Other Resources:

The site will have additional literature resources from external professional bodies, NGO’s, campaigning organisations; technical guides and manuals and use of company annual reports.

Reading list for this module: