New demand from energy transition technologies will require the acceleration of mine development for a range of minerals, including lithium, copper, graphite and cobalt. This combined with concerns about security of supply have thrust mining under the spotlight, drawing the attention of policy makers, investors and the general public. For this mining boom to have a broad positive impact, the mining and minerals industry must learn from the mistakes of the past and put ESG factors at the centre of its business model. Edited by Ted Rhodes, head of the Mining and Minerals group at international law firm CMS, ESG in Mining and Minerals provides a wide-ranging analysis of the ESG risks, challenges and opportunities facing mining companies and the wider minerals supply chain. It considers the specific ESG challenges facing companies in the mining and minerals sector, from reducing carbon intensity and protecting biodiversity, through community engagement and human rights, to ensuring transparency in government relations. It will guide readers through relevant emerging ESG regulation, ESG risks, and new approaches to mining to reduce its negative impact on the environment and its inhabitants. ESG in Mining and Minerals combines legal analysis with an understanding of the commercial imperatives and practical realities of the mining and minerals sector, which can often be particularly challenging from an ESG perspective. Its holistic approach to the ESG context of the sector is intended to help in the preparation of risk analyses and comprehensive ESG policies, which must of course be tailored to each individual mining business in a way that reinforces competitiveness, rather than detract from it. This book will be an invaluable guide for directors and management in mining and minerals companies, investors and financiers, as well as sustainability professionals, in-house and external counsel and anyone else who is concerned with the ESG impacts of extractive industries.
