Effective integrated frameworks for assessing mining sustainability

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Sustainability Studies
• Mining Engineering

Background:

• Existing methods for assessing mining sustainability lack comprehensiveness.
• Prior research evaluating these methods is limited.
• There is a need for an improved framework to enhance sustainability reporting in the mining industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze current mining sustainability assessment methods.
• To identify key characteristics for an enhanced sustainability framework.
• To develop a more holistic and comprehensive system for sustainability assessment and reporting in mining.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of five relevant existing sustainability frameworks.
• Identification of commonalities, disparities, and missing components.
• Development of a new five-component enhanced framework based on twelve evaluation characteristics.

Main Results:

• Existing frameworks share commonalities but also have disparities and missing essential components.
• An enhanced framework with five components (Foundation, Focus, Breadth, Quality Assurance, Relevance) was created.
• The proposed framework supports location-specific reporting with clear indicators and integrated quality assurance.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced framework provides a more holistic and comprehensive approach to mining sustainability assessment and reporting.
• It promotes location-specific reporting, integrates quality assurance, and informs decision-making.
• The framework includes human health and socioeconomic aspects through community engagement and economic valuations.