Extractives & the SDGs

When the UN Member States agreed on the set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they set the global agenda for equitable, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable economic development until 2030. Extractive industry companies have the potential to become leading partners in achieving the SDGs. Following are some tools and resources CCSI has developed to facilitate this:

CCSI provides ongoing support to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN) Thematic Group 10 on Good Governance of Extractive and Land Resources. This has included technical support on reports and documents during the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as development of potential indicators to measure progress toward the SDGs. In addition, CCSI and the Thematic Network have worked together on several projects to identify research gaps and generate innovative solutions.

Alongside partners, CCSI strives to create a shared understanding of how the mining industry can most effectively contribute to the SDGs. We jointly issued two reports (in 2016 and 2020) to assist mining companies in navigating how their activities (exploration, operations, and mine closure) can advance the SDGs. It is also a resource for other interested stakeholders.

As technologies to collect and process real-time data become increasingly available, CCSI is analyzing best practices of data-driven development planning and working with some local governments and investors—including in Canaã dos Carajás, in Brazil, and in the Huasco and Choapa Provinces, in Chile— to develop a data-driven long-term development strategy incorporating extractive investments.

CCSI prepared policy papers to help international oil companies (IOCs) examine how they can integrate the SDGs into their core business and thereby contribute to a host country’s sustainable growth. The papers focus respectively on Greece and Cyprus.

Background

Mining companies have the potential to become leading partners in achieving the SDGs. Through their direct operations, mining companies can generate profits, employment, and economic growth in low-income countries. And through partnerships with government and civil society, mining companies can ensure that benefits of mining extend beyond the life of the mine itself, so that the mining industry has a positive impact on the natural environment, climate change, and social capital.

Mining companies will be called on to extract responsibly, waste less, use safer processes, incorporate new sustainable technologies, promote the improved wellbeing of local communities, curb emissions, and improve environmental stewardship. Mining companies committed to the SDGs will benefit from improved relationships with governments and communities, as well as better access to financial resources. Those that fail to engage meaningfully with the SDGs will put their operations at risk in the short and long term.