Putting Theory into Practice How has the Gold Mining Industry Interpreted the Concept of Sustainable Development?

Abstract

Mineral Resources EngineeringVol. 10, No. 04, pp. 397-413 (2001) Technical PapersNo AccessPUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE: HOW HAS THE GOLD MINING INDUSTRY INTERPRETED THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?GAVIN HILSONGAVIN HILSONEnvironmental Policy and Management Group (EPMG), Imperial College Centre for Environmental Technology, Royal School of Mines, Prince Consort Road, London, UK SW7 2BP, UK Search for more papers by this author https://doi.org/10.1142/S0950609801000725Cited by:20 Next AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsRecommend to Library ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail AbstractThere is a now a burgeoning literature that attempts to explain how sustainable development applies in the mining context. Little research, however, has been commissioned to examine exactly how mining companies are interpreting the concept. To help bridge this major gap in the literature, a study was conducted in which the environmental and socioeconomic initiatives undertaken by the world's 20 largest gold mining companies — the operations of which produce some 51.8% of the world's gold — were examined and analysed. The primary information and data used in the study were obtained from company websites, annual reports, specific corporate environmental and socioeconomic literature, and a follow-up questionnaire sent to the attention of each company's chief presiding environmental officer. Results show that the industry, generally, has taken a proactive stance toward environmental issues and to a lesser extent, socioeconomic and community matters. The study more importantly confirmed that the gold mining segment of the industry has embraced the concept of sustainable development to varying degrees, a pattern that interestingly parallels that of the relevant theoretical literature.Keywords:Miningsustainable developmentsustainabilityminessocioeconomicenvironmental FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited By 20The Integration of CSR Practices in the Investment DecisionAbdelmajid Ibenrissoul, Souhaila Kammoun and Abdelaziz Tazi4 Mar 2022Biomining Microorganisms' Molecular Aspects and Applications in Biotechnology and BioremediationJyoti Srivastava and Pradeep Srivastava1 Jan 2022Impact of the Illegal Gold Mining Activities on Pra River of Ghana on the Distribution of Potentially Toxic Metals and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Elements in Agricultural Land SoilsEbenezer Aquisman Asare6 October 2021 | Chemistry Africa, Vol. 4, No. 4The Integration of CSR Practices in the Investment DecisionAbdelmajid Ibenrissoul, Souhaila Kammoun and Abdelaziz Tazi1 Jan 2021Analysis of Long-Term Impact of Maintenance Policy on Maintenance Capacity Using a Time-Driven Activity-Based Life-Cycle CostingOrlando Durán, Paulo Afonso and Vinicius Minatogawa12 December 2020 | Mathematics, Vol. 8, No. 12The Drive towards Consensual Perspectives for Enhancing Sustainable MiningAbdul-Wadood Moomen, Pierre Lacroix, Michela Bertolotto and David Jensen16 December 2020 | Resources, Vol. 9, No. 12Rethinking the concept of small-scale mining for technologically advanced raw materials productionOlga Sidorenko, Rauno Sairinen and Kathryn Moore1 Oct 2020 | Resources Policy, Vol. 68The environmental conflicts of gold mine tumpangpitu Banyuwangi Rifai, Sukidin and Yushardi1 May 2020 | IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 485, No. 1Golden Migrants: The Rise and Impact of Illegal Chinese Small‐Scale Mining in GhanaOsman Antwi‐Boateng and Mamudu Abunga Akudugu29 January 2020 | Politics & Policy, Vol. 48, No. 1Sustainable development in Ghana's gold mines: Clarifying the stakeholder's perspectiveFrancis Xavier Dery Tuokuu, Stephen Debar Kpinpuo and Robert Ebo Hinson1 May 2019 | Journal of Sustainable Mining, Vol. 18, No. 2Biomining Microorganisms' Molecular Aspects and Applications in Biotechnology and BioremediationJyoti Srivastava and Pradeep Srivastava1 Jan 2018Effects of artisanal gold mining activities on soil properties in a part of southwestern NigeriaAdebayo O. 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