The emperor’s new clothes: sustainable mining?

Over the last few years, the concept of ‘sustainable mining’ has emerged on international agendas, influenced by industry sponsorship. This paper investigates the actual changes in the mining industry corresponding to this shift in narrative. It argues that, from the perspective of communities negatively impacted by mining activities, little has changed. Despite the push for multinational mining companies under the premise of a ‘new, sustainable mining,’ land continues to be appropriated without the necessary free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities. The paper presents case studies from the Philippines and West Papua, highlighting the ongoing adverse effects on local livelihoods, health, and the environment. It critiques the gap between the rhetoric of sustainable practices and the lived realities of those in mining-affected communities. Although ideally a representative of these communities would present these findings, the author, a member of the editorial board of Mines and Communities, steps in to articulate these concerns. The discussion also touches upon the particular vulnerabilities of indigenous peoples in relation to mineral developments on their ancestral lands.