The mining association of Canada has a set of voluntary, independently evaluated tools and indicators to help mining companies manage key mining risks. These tools centre on mining companies being (a) held accountable to stakeholders, especially local communities, (b) transparent and (c) credible. While laudable, this industry commitment suffers from incomplete achievement of targets. Moreover, even if these targets were met with 100 per cent compliance, the mining sector would still fall short of being truly sustainable, almost by definition. Due to the essentially extractive nature of the industry, every mine depletes a non-renewable ore body of limited life expectancy. While a step in the right direction, it is unclear how these reporting efforts actually translate into delivery of positive sustainability legacies from Canadian mines.
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