Improving Public Perception of the Mining Industry

🤝 From License to Legacy: The Strategic Role of an ESG & Community Relations Manager in Mining In today’s mining industry, legal permits alone are no longer sufficient. Projects are expected to deliver tangible, long-term value for communities, governments and investors through strong ESG performance. The ESG & Community Relations Manager sits at the crossroads of operations, sustainability and local development, ensuring that on-site activities align with social, environmental and governance expectations. 🎯 Mission of the role Build and protect the project’s social licence to operate by aligning community expectations, company strategy and regulatory requirements. Anticipate ESG risks and opportunities — and translate them into practical action plans, partnerships and projects on the ground. 🧩 Core skills & responsibilities 🔹 Stakeholder engagement Map and engage communities, traditional authorities, NGOs, local businesses and government stakeholders to foster trust and transparent dialogue. 🔹 Social impact assessment Assess the effects of exploration, construction and operations on livelihoods, land use, the environment and local economies — and design effective mitigation measures. 🔹 ESG & CSR reporting Coordinate ESG data, indicators and narratives in line with international standards (GRI, SASB, IFC, etc.) and investor expectations. 🔹 Negotiation & agreements Lead or support negotiations on community agreements, land access, compensation frameworks, local employment and development initiatives. 🌍 Impact on mining projects A strong ESG & Community Relations function helps reduce conflicts, delays and reputational risks, while enhancing project stability and investor confidence. By co-designing social investment and local development programs, this role transforms short-term mining operations into long-term shared value for host communities. 🔎 For professionals who thrive on people, dialogue and long-term impact, ESG & Community Relations management is a powerful pathway to shaping the future of responsible mining. #Mining #ESG #Sustainability #CommunityRelations #SocialPerformance #StakeholderEngagement #ImpactAssessment #ResponsibleMining #CSR #MiningCareers

Mining companies have been in the public’s bad books for years. People don’t think about where their chicken or avocado comes from, or the environmental toll of producing them. Agriculture is in a positive light with a score of 32 in societal responsibilities. Banks get 16. But mining? It’s at -12. People’s negative gut feelings about mining run deep. Hollywood casts miners as villains, reinforcing these views. Movies like "Dune" and "Blood Diamond" paint mining in a terrible light, making it hard to shift public perception. Our attempts to change minds? Ineffective. Telling people mining is essential is like trying to convince a fish to climb a tree. How do we change this?     First, promote responsible mining standards. Too many standards confuse the public. We need a few strong ones to build trust.        Second, show that clean energy transition is not possible without mining. We need minerals for solar panels and wind turbines. New iPhones as well. Highlighting this can change how people see mining.             Third, mining must come out of its shell and tell more compelling stories. Focus on storytelling over facts. People connect with stories, not dry statistics. We need to tell compelling stories about how mining supports everyday life and a sustainable future.                   Mining needs to admit its history. Owning and fixing past harms builds trust. It's about addressing yesterday's issues as well as today's. The mining industry needs a transformation in mindset, both within the industry and in public perception.

Without authentic engagement, a social license to operate is out of reach. 8 mistakes mining companies make on social media: Social media isn’t just a PR tool—it’s a key to public trust, faster #permitting, and #ESG investment. But too often, companies miss the mark. Here’s what mining companies should avoid to build credibility and connect with communities: 1️⃣ Ignoring Negative Comments — Silence isn’t golden; engage thoughtfully to build trust. 2️⃣ Posting Only for Shareholders — Speak to the public, not just investors. Make mining relatable. 3️⃣ Avoiding the Elephants in the Room — Address tough topics head-on. Transparency matters. 4️⃣ Underutilizing Employees — Show the human side by sharing team stories and local involvement. 5️⃣ Underestimating Local Opposition — Listen to communities; respect their concerns and address them. 6️⃣ Talking About Themselves Too Much — Make it about impact, not just the company’s achievements. 7️⃣ Neglecting Platform Tools — Use features like polls and stories to invite dialogue, not just monologue. 8️⃣ Ignoring Popular Platforms — Go where the people are—Instagram, TikTok, and beyond. Social media deserves the budget and strategy it takes to do it right. Start prioritizing your digital presence to attract ESG investors, build community trust, and set the standard for transparency in mining. #MiningIndustry #SocialLicense #MiningCommunity #MiningCommunication #ESG #SustainableMining Rohitesh Dhawan, Andrew Thake, Jessica Scanlan, Cate Larsen, Julie Lucas, Suziany Rocha de Souza, Amanda McCallum, ICD.D

📢 After two years of work the $18 trillion backed Global Investor Commission on Mining has today released a comprehensive 10 year vision to drive a responsible #mining sector. The vision supported by pension funds and investment managers aims to unlock the investment needed to responsibly meet global mineral demand and sets seven goals for 2035. The Commission: ✅ Recognises the systemic importance of the mining sector to meet the needs of growing economies and the #energy transition with a Vision and Recommendations to support market conditions that reward responsible mining practices while meeting rising demand. ✅ Sets a 10 Year timeline for all mines to be operating to global best practice performance standards, helping reduce risks and unlock opportunities for society, investors, and investor portfolio companies. ✅ Supports the creation of an independent International Minerals Agency (IMA) to monitor global #mineral supply, demand as well as illicit mineral flows; investor expectations for mineral purchasers including auto and big tech firms; supports a Global Legacy Fund to tackle post-closure issues; and a dedicated Global Centre for #Peacebuilding and Business based in South Africa. Ahead of the publication an investor delegation met with President Lula of Brazil, as host of the forthcoming UN climate talks to present the recommendations and to discuss the role of governments in supporting a rules-based mining sector. As Chair of the Commission I state: “The market is at an inflection point. We can choose to support a vision of responsible mining that addresses the industry’s systemic challenges which in turn would enable long term value generation. Or we can allow the #digital and #clean #energy system of tomorrow to be born of #social discord and #environmental breaches. The Commission sets out a compelling and practical vision, involving a partnership of governments, companies, #investors, #workers and other community stakeholders to level the playing field for a responsible #rules-based mining system. This vision driven by the long-term interests of companies and investors will deliver real, meaningful benefits for local communities as well as for national economies.” The Commission’s seven ‘2035 goals’ in the next decade aim for: 1. Unlocking investment for an industry that is responsible and resilient. 2. The mining industry operating to credible and independent performance standards. 3. Responsible sourcing being embedded across value chains. 4. Regulatory and institutional frameworks and structures that promote effective governance of the mining sector and create an enabling environment for the 10 Year Vision. 5. The mining industry engaging meaningfully with stakeholders and distributing benefits equitably and sustainably. 6. Reducing conflicts linked to mineral extraction. 7. Historic legacies addressed and positive legacies for current operations created. https://lnkd.in/ePw_DF-D

Most people aren’t thinking about mining. ⛏️ They don’t think: “It took 15–25 years to permit, explore, finance, and build the mine that produced the copper behind the light switch they just flipped.” They don’t think about the dozens of mined minerals that make scrolling this app possible. Or the lithium, nickel, copper, graphite, and other metals that keep a city like New York lit, moving, and powered every second of the day. But mining is behind it all. That’s the paradox. Turn off the lights in New York, and mining becomes visible fast. Mining isn’t losing relevance. It’s losing mindshare. And it’s not just the general public. A growing share of the younger generation is actively against mining. Not because they’ve studied it. Not because they understand timelines or supply chains. But because of perception, distance, and a lack of education. To them, mining feels: → Dirty. →Outdated. → Out of sight. Public companies often repeat the same mistake. They assume results speak for themselves. They assume investors will connect the dots. They assume press releases do the explaining. They don’t. → Attention comes before trust → Trust comes before capital → Capital follows understanding If investors, especially future investors, don’t understand why you matter, they won’t care how strong your project is. That’s why visibility isn’t noise. It’s education. Mining doesn’t need better hype. It needs better context, better stories, better relevance. Your story doesn’t belong buried in PDFs. It belongs where thinking happens: → In feeds. → In conversation. → In language people recognize. Because the companies that win next won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the most understood by today’s investors and tomorrow’s. Attention compounds before valuation does. PS: I unpack investor storytelling + AI strategy for small-cap visibility & credibility in my Newsletter Clicks & Capital (link in featured section) Are you educating the next generation of investors, or are you losing them? ---------- For more, follow Anna Dalaire 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭-𝘊𝘢𝘱 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, & 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘐.

The Quarry Park Adventures in Rocklin shows what sustainable mining can look like after mine closure. Granite was mined here for 160 years until its closure in 2005. The pit was about 60 feet deep, and it was later converted into a recreational area, with projections to attract over 130,000 visitors annually. The park employs up to 200 people and generates millions of dollars each year. This is what we call sustainable post-mining land use; the very thing we always talk about. Simply put, it is about converting degraded land into significant socioeconomic value to support community and national development. We have seen similar transformations elsewhere. The Butchart Gardens, for example, was once a limestone quarry. Today, it is one of the most visited gardens in the world. It is about putting mined lands to beneficial use instead of leaving behind abandoned pits that accumulate toxic water and create problems for people and the environment. Kenneth Bansah, PhD, PE