Tackling global sustainability

The RMSI GEMM 20/20 dialogue was held at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at SFU’s downtown Vancouver campus.

The Responsible Minerals Sector Initiative fosters dialogue for the mineral sector worldwide.

In April 2012, participants from around the world congregated in Vancouver to talk about the future of the mineral sector. The gathering was not a typical conference or seminar, but rather the beginning of a continuing conversation to tackle the toughest questions that must be addressed if the mineral sector is to demonstrate sustainability and responsibility over the coming decade.

The event, GEMM 20/20: Global Exploration, Mining and Minerals in 2020 – Sustainability and Responsibility Challenges and Opportunities, was the latest in a series of invitational dialogues held by The Responsible Minerals Sector Initiative (RMSI), a collaboration housed at the Beedie School of Business.

“These dialogues are about more voices with fewer words, rather than few voices with many words,” said Glenn Sigurdson, Chair of RMSI. “This is a space for giving expression to these voices, not to decipher one truth. There must be an ongoing structure for dialogue among stakeholders, and this series of dialogues is a tremendous opportunity to reflect and see where we stand.”

Held at SFU’s Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the dialogue saw over 140 invited participants representing communities, companies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and governments. The group assembled to share insights and concepts, develop strategies and tools, and build networks and relationships for effective leadership and responsible management in the mineral sector over the coming decade.

Over the course of the dialogue many points were raised. The issue of implementation was established as one which the mineral sector must address in the next decade if it is to be successful, along with a focus on capacity building within governments and communities. Organizations were also challenged to find a way with which to reflect broader values and develop the competencies to understand and apply those values in the decisions they make and places they operate, while recognizing the increasing influence of the human rights agenda within the sustainability framework.

Inspired by the discussion, several project teams came together to form work groups whose efforts are ongoing. The groups are currently focused on several projects, including the need for more creative and accessible tools for communities affected by mining; mapping of the multitude of existing regulatory and non-regulatory activities, processes, standards and codes, and exploring the possibility for consolidation; and a framework for the implementation of responsible mining that reflects the interests of all sectors. “The function of RMSI is not to ‘own’ these projects, but rather to build a collaborative space and provide support for their advancement,” explains Sigurdson.

“We hope to reinforce, support and advance various projects and activities going forward,” adds Jessica Bratty, RMSI Associate. “A year from now, at the next dialogue in the series, RMSI aims to be in a position where the projects established at GEMM 20/20 can be debriefed, evaluated and furthered in a collaborative way.”

The next in the series of dialogues, GEMM 2013 “Building from the Ground Up: Implementing Responsibility and Sustainability in the Global Mineral Sector, will be held on April 16 and 17, 2013.

For further information, visit beedie.sfu.ca/rmsi or contact rmsi@sfu.ca