Abstract
Mining activities cause negative environmental impacts and social conflicts but also provide economic benefits to communities and secure the minerals necessary for low-carbon technology. The aim of this multiple case study is to analyze, compare and critically evaluate sustainability reports of 10 European mining companies for the 2016–2018 period to determine the drivers for implementation of sustainability practices and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings suggest that European mining companies act under pressures from international initiatives and industry associations, the European Union, governments, stakeholders, and maintaining social license to operate. The companies report on the core subjects of corporate governance, employees, the environment, stakeholders’ engagement and occupational health and safety. Positive trends were observed in stakeholders’ engagement and health and safety, while air emissions and water and energy usage increased for most companies. Furthermore, there was an absence of improvement in gender diversity, utilization of renewable energy, and waste recycling. Even though all analyzed companies mentioned SDGs in the reports, the reports lacked a comprehensive explanation of mining activities’ contribution to the SDGs. This study addresses a gap in the existing literature on the European mining context of sustainable development and SDGs relevant for researchers, policymakers, and other impacted stakeholders and adds new theoretical knowledge on the external drivers of CSR activities based on institutional theory.
Highlights
Mining1 is one of the oldest documented human activities and has advanced the economic, cultural, and technical development of societies and countries throughout human history [1]
The overall aim of this research was to analyze, compare and critically evaluate sustainability reports of European mining companies for the 2016–2018 period to determine the drivers for implementation of sustainability practices and to assess performance based on their reported data and the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The results of this research offer a unique contribution to understanding the sustainability activities of mining companies in Europe, the external drivers that motivate them to engage in these activities and their implementation of the SDGs in sustainability reports
Summary
Mining is one of the oldest documented human activities and has advanced the economic, cultural, and technical development of societies and countries throughout human history [1]. The European mining industry is an important part of its economy with an almost self-sufficient production of industrial minerals and aggregates for European requirements [3]; it is a major international producer of many industrial minerals, natural stone with approximately 35% global production and the largest producer of extracted gypsum in the world [4]. Mining is considered to conflict with sustainable development due to its use of nonrenewable natural resources and significant impact on the environment [7]. Due to these negative impacts, the mining industry has been under intensified pressure from stakeholders over the last few decades, especially from nonprofit organizations (NGOs), to improve their performance [8].
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