The Australian minerals industry strongly supports the role of a ‘social licence to operate’ as a complement to a regulatory licence issued by government. To the minerals industry ‘social licence to operate’ is about operating in a manner that is attuned to community expectations and which acknowledges that businesses have a shared responsibility with government, and more broadly society, to help facilitate the development of strong and sustainable communities. To harness the industry’s commitment to sustainable development within a strategic framework, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) adopted a set of sustainable development principles in May 2003. This is the global industry’s commitment to manage social, health, safety, environmental and economic issues in order to deliver sustainable shareholder value; and to both improve its performance in managing these issues and to publicly report industry’s progress in doing so. To give practical and operational effect to these commitments, the Australian minerals industry has developed Enduring Value – the Australian Minerals Industry Framework for Sustainable Development. Enduring Value builds on the Australian Minerals Industry Code for Environmental Management – the platform for industry’s continual improvement in managing environmental issues since its introduction in 1996.
Minerals Council of Australia. (2005). Enduring Value. Forrest, Australia: Author.