What is the experience with governance models that manage and engage diverse stakeholders through a closure transition?

Abstract

Traditionally understood in technical, environmental and (to a lesser extent) socio-economic terms, mine closure and transition is increasingly recognized as a significant governance challenge. Governance, in this context, refers not merely to the legal aspects of mine reclamation or closure regulation but rather the broader suite of actors, institutions, processes, methods, rules and practices that guide and oversee mine site transitions. Governance structures, interactions and practices are shaped by power relations as well as reflecting embedded norms and values. Since the 1980s, mine closure governance has expanded from a preoccupation by industry and governments with hazard mitigation, environmental reclamation and, in some cases, economic and social ‘adjustment,’ to encompass a wider set of social, economic and environmental aspects of closure (Kendall 1992; Laurence 2006). These issues may affect workers, local and regional development agencies, Indigenous rightsholders, fenceline communities and environmental advocates, among others (Bainton and Holcombe 2018; Everingham et al. 2020). This broad range of actors and issues, in turn, has generated reactions and responses from individual companies, industry associations and governments at all levels seeking to mitigate closure and transition impacts (Morrison-Saunders et al. 2016; Owen and Kemp 2018; Hodge and Brehaut 2023).