Nigel Wight, the leader of the Social Performance and Resource Governance team at SMI-ICE-Chile, was invited to participate in a discussion group organized by BHP’s IndiGO team to discuss the concept of “good neighbour” and the key aspects of social performance that mining operations should consider in increasingly complex times.
#IndiGO is an internal multidisciplinary initiative from BHP to promote indigenous employment and economic development.
In his presentation to a primarily online audience of 170 BHP professionals, Nigel Wight summarized the main challenges and gaps in being a good neighbour: “The energy transition brings with it increased demand for minerals, which are extracted in places with multidimensional challenges that must be addressed in depth and from various perspectives. Extracting critical minerals requires an assessment and management of social, ecological and political variables that are increasingly scrutinized by society. In this context, the industry must understand environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and use clear concepts and terms to define its actions in its areas of influence.”
The SMI-ICE-Chile specialist emphasized the importance for the mining industry of identifying gaps in its internal capabilities to be a good neighbour in a more complex setting, particularly the social performance function and how it integrates with other areas of the organization.
“It was a valuable space for reflection to share knowledge and experiences around ESG challenges,” remarked Nigel Wight.
