This is a 40-minute panel session to bring in views and opinions from people who are not directly involved in the mining sector. We aim to burst the mining bubble and add new and fresh perspectives!
Some of the questions addressed include:
- You are joining me in this mining seminar precisely because you are not a mining specialist. Tell me, what comes to mind when I say mining?
- The simplest questions are often the most powerful: is mining good or bad?
- Mining has a bad reputation that links back to specific environmental, social or governance legacy. Yet, I remember a bumper sticker in the first office I worked in that said: “if it’s not grown, it’s mined”. I had never reflected on this before. This help show mining in a different light (particularly when we consider the metals needed to fuel the ongoing green energy transition, for example). Is mining part of the problem or the solution?
- You may have heard of NIMBY, “Not in My Back Yard“ (or next level: BANANA “build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything”). Truth is, nobody likes a big hole in the ground, and local communities are no exception. BUT we all still use the minerals and metals that come out of mining (in our phones, computers…). How can we improve our relationship with mining? Is it about better press or something more fundamental?
- The theme of this conference is responsible raw materials. As a not-mining specialist, what would you say responsible raw materials are? What is the most critical dimension to consider when we think responsible materials (e.g. the environment, employee safety, your local communities…?)
- Some of the products that we consume in our everyday life are certified to show they are produced in a responsible way, think for example Fairtrade coffee and chocolate, or sustainable palm oil. But there are not many certifications for responsibly sourced raw materials yet. Let me ask a personal question: would you pay a premium for a certified responsibly sourced product, say your smartphone?
- To close, if you could pass on one message or request to the global mining industry, what would that be?
