Managing ESG Compliance and Investor Expectations in the Mining Sector

The metals and mining sector is increasingly exposed to ESG risks, including concerns around emissions, water use, deforestation and community relations. At the same time, ESG reporting obligations, and institutional and other investor interest in what resource companies are doing in this space, are rapidly multiplying across the globe.

Alongside these developments, actual and perceived non-compliance with ESG regulations and best practices have engendered activist shareholder protests and class action litigation against the parent companies of global mining groups. This article aims to provide an introduction to the key considerations for miners in this area, as well as exploring certain important recent developments.