Dr. Éléonore Lèbre, a Sustainable Minerals Institute specialist in environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in the mining industry, visited Chile to learn more about the context of copper and lithium mining and the work of SMI-ICE-Chile.
The leading researcher at the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) of the Sustainable Minerals Institute is studying the global mining industry’s performance based on existing public geospatial data on ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) criteria.
Éléonore Lèbre connects her work with pressing current issues such as tailings dam failures, transition to renewable energy and critical metals, social incidents and mine closures.
At our headquarters, she shared her work and views with some of the SMI-ICE-Chile team members.
ESG is a term that considers the environmental, social and governance factors that investors and consumers take into account when investing in a company or purchasing a product. «It is a measure for reporting companies’ sustainability performance and, in this sense, the demand for reliable ESG data is growing,» explains Éléonore Lèbre.
Her work analysed a total of 444 large-scale mining projects for which information is available. «It is important to mention,” she specified, “that there is no public information for 67% of these projects. This number represents a large gap in data for the ESG standard.»
Of the remaining third for which information is available, Éléonore explained that 12% of projects report extreme costs related to the context in which they operate, with the most common being government measures, conflicts with civil society, conflicts with communities, worker strikes and climate problems.
