Sustainable Mining - Pioneering a Greener Future (2024)

Sustainable Miningchris2024-06-06T11:22:50+00:00

Mines supply many of the critical raw materials and resources that drive our society forward and ignite economic growth and technological development. Yet, this critical need to mine must be balanced with a holistic environmental and social responsibility. For sustainable mining companies, optimising environmental performance and social impact isn’t just about ethics or regulatory compliance, it is also good business practice.

New technologies, from more efficient energy sources and greater air and water quality management capabilities to more effective tailings reprocessing, are helping mines lower their environmental footprint while simultaneously reducing production costs and improving competitiveness. A sound, progressive governance strategy already invested in these technologies as a core pillar of the overall business is the blueprint for a sustainable mining industry in the future. We examine what the blueprint looks like below.

While many investors now consider the impact of environmental and social issues in a broader definition of an investment return, the understanding that companies that perform better on ESG measures, perform better financially, is also common knowledge amongst most global investors.

This has added even greater impetus for the case for sustainable mining.

What is sustainable mining?

Sustainable mining operates with minimal environmental impact, ensuring that mine sites are left in a condition suitable for re-use by both humans and ecosystems.

What does the future of mining look like?

Sustainable Mining: A Manifesto

How should mines measure their sustainability? A globally shared framework of concepts, consistent language, and metrics is required for transparency about the sustainability of organisational activities to stakeholders, which is critical in converting social and environmental sustainability aspirations to reality. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines & Mining and Metals Sector Supplement provides the leading determination methodology for defining a company’s significant environmental, social and economic impacts, including:

The control, use and management of land
Contribution to economic and social development
Community and stakeholder engagement
Labour relations
Environmental management
An integrated approach to mineral use

More broadly, a sustainable mining industry is also well-placed to deliver many of the objectives outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals:

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Mines can play an important role in delivering meaningful social benefits that promote sustainable development in local communities.

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Mines should strive to reduce risk and create a zero-harm environment to promote excellence in the performance of their operations.

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities

What does sustainability mean to us?

At Pan African Resources, sustainability is more than a commitment—it’s our operational ethos. We balance mineral extraction with environmental care and social responsibility. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we reduce our environmental impact while boosting efficiency.

Recognizing the synergy between ESG excellence and financial performance, every decision we make underscores our dedication to a sustainable mining future.

Sustainably Mining For A Future

Reduce, reuse, and rethink mining waste: from liability to profit
Water conservation
Lower CO2 emissions by transitioning to renewable energy
Ensure communities thrive beyond the life of mine
Restore the land to its natural state
Combatting illegal mining and its impact and communities and the environment

How can sustainable mining be achieved?

A strong commitment to stewardship, investments in modern technologies, and embracing the circular economy shape the foundation of a sustainable mine site. Here are 6 key areas in which mining can become more environmentally sustainable:

1. Reduce, reuse, and rethink mining waste: from liability to profit

Across the world, mining produces over 100 billion tonnes of waste each year in the form of rocks and tailings. If not handled and managed correctly this can pose a significant environmental and social risk, through harmful dust and gas emissions and water leaching. In the most severe cases, failing to adequately deal with waste can have catastrophic consequences, as happened in Brazil recently with the failure and collapse of two tailings dams in 2019 and 2015.

An integrated management approach combining the highest levels of operational safety and monitoring, and the utilisation of modern storage facilities and dam linings is a minimum requirement in effective, responsible tailings disposal.

In the right conditions, leading sustainable miners can take it one step further. These miners actively re-treat tailings to recover minerals and trace elements left over from previous generations of processing technology and capabilities. By mining waste, significant economic value can be generated with minimal environmental footprint. Indeed, by transferring historical tailings to modern storage facilities operated with higher environmental standards, the liability of these massive waste bodies is reduced.

2. Water conservation

From dust suppression and slurry transport and storage to mineral processing, a significant volume of water is required for the day-to-day operations of any mine. Yet, in light of increasing concerns around water scarcity and long-term water security, mining companies face ongoing pressures to reduce their consumption of fresh and bulk water, and ensure discharge meets the highest environmental standards – or better yet be recycled for applications like agricultural irrigation.

By using modern water treatment technologies, from biological processes to desalination, evaporation and crystallisation, miners can significantly optimise their water cycle by continuously reusing process water in a closed loop circuit, working towards zero liquid discharge. This not only reduces a mine’s freshwater demand; it can also lower per-kilolitre water costs, as well as improve on-site availability of this operation-critical resource in the event of bulk supply interruptions.

Mines also need to ensure all risks of water pollution are managed to the highest safety and environmental standards. Not only is discharge strictly monitored; acid mine drainage (AMD), caused primarily by leeching oxidised sulphide minerals, can have severe negative impacts on aquatic life and overall riverine health. The potential for AMD needs to be identified and predicted through sampling, testwork and modelling, and treated with heavy metals removal and alkalisation.

Leading mines have a sustainable, low-impact water use profile.

3. Lower CO2 emissions by transitioning to renewable energy

Mining is a significant consumer of energy in its day-to-day operations, with global gold mining operations alone consuming an estimated 132 terawatt-hours per year (that’s equivalent to the total national energy demand of Sweden!). With carbon emissions becoming an increasing environmental, financial and legislative liability, a transition to clean energy away from fossil fuels is becoming critical for a miner’s overall sustainability.

Energy self-sufficiency utilising alternative energy such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power isn’t just enabling mines to reduce their carbon footprint, improving the overall sustainability of the industry in a more carbon-sensitive future. It also helps to improve efficiency, costs and reliability of power supply.
Though self-sufficient, clean-energy mines are still in their infancy in Africa, several exciting projects in various stages of development by the continent’s leading sustainable miners are providing a roadmap that provide a glimpse of what the energy future of the industry will look like.

In addition, a host of other energy-saving initiatives are available to mines to help further optimise their energy usage profile by adopting modern technology across operations, such as high-efficiency motors, compressors and pumps.

4. Ensure communities thrive beyond the life of mine

Mines are often the single biggest providers of jobs in the surrounding communities, especially where mineral resources are extracted in more remote areas. However, finite ore bodies mean they cannot sustain these opportunities indefinitely. The long-term wellbeing of these communities therefore depends on diversifying economic activity and developing sustainable business and financial opportunities that aren’t exclusively dependent on the nearby mine.

Miners with a strategic sustainable social licence plan can often play a leading role in developing and incubating start-up, community-led businesses. Local supply chain-centred businesses can develop around the shorter-term service requirements of the mine and grow their geographic scope to supply customers in other regions in the long-term as their technical and capital resources expand. Other primary economic activities such as agriculture and forestry also provide potential economic opportunities if correctly managed and executed.

Allied to a strong local skills development and training philosophy, sustainable miners can proactively manage the economic transition of its host communities to ensure the completion of mining activities does not spell financial ruin.

5. Restore the land to its natural state

Extracting minerals scattered thinly in the earth can result in significant disruption to the natural environment. Surface mining, in particular, often requires vast areas of vegetation to be cleared, and huge quantities of topsoil and subsoil stripped. This can lead to loss of habitat and biodiversity, soil erosion, and, by removing these natural carbon sponges, exacerbate our efforts to fight climate change.

Sustainable miners practice responsible land use by limiting the impact of their operations on the natural ecosystem they work within, and then reverse this impact by rehabilitating the site once mining activities cease. The objective of these miners is to leave the land in the same or better ecological condition it was prior to operations. Using a variety of methods including reforestation and the removal of mining infrastructure and waste, mining companies can minimise their environmental impact on the land, and ensure its natural resources can be transferred to the next generation of use.

6. Combatting illegal mining and its impact and communities and the environment

Poverty and unemployment in local communities gives rise to higher incidents of illegal mining and theft of infrastructure, especially at shafts that are no longer in operation. These syndicates mine for illicit profits with little respect for safety or the environment. On top of increased safety and security risks and a negative impact on production and revenue, illegal mining also increases water resource degradation and the risk of acid mine drainage.

While increased law enforcement and security presence is a necessary intervention, sustainable miners also develop solutions to address the systemic social and economic conditions that encourage illegal mining activities. This includes creating awareness of its dangers to communities, the environment and the impact of a reduced life-of-mine on the local economy.

Sustainable Gold Mining

Hazardous chemicals, reagents and radiation are additional environmental sustainability issues that gold miners need to mitigate.

Chemicals like cyanide (among the most hazardous substances used by any gold mining operation) need to be procured, handled, transported and treated or destroyed according to the highest safety and quality standards as prescribed in the International Cyanide Code. Sustainable miners also continually work towards lowering their consumption of reagents through ongoing optimisation and technology investments in the mine water treatment cycle.

Levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials in soil, rock and ore need to be assessed regularly, and the spread contained by an effective dust management system. All radioactive isotopes must be managed in compliance with the Hazardous Substances Act.

Negative Impacts of Mining	How PAR Combats These Impacts
Waste Production: Mining produces vast amounts of waste in the form of rocks and tailings.	Tailings Reuse: PAR actively re-treats tailings to recover minerals and trace elements. For instance, the Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant processes historic tailings, transforming environmental liabilities into profit.
Land Disruption: Surface mining often requires vegetation clearance and topsoil stripping, leading to habitat loss, biodiversity reduction, and climate change exacerbation.	Land Rehabilitation: PAR practices responsible land use and rehabilitates sites post-mining. Their Barberton Mines operates within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ensuring preservation and improvement of the unique Barberton biome.
Water Consumption: Mining operations require significant water volumes, leading to concerns about water scarcity and pollution.	Water Conservation: PAR uses modern water treatment technologies to optimize the water cycle, reusing process water in a closed-loop circuit. For instance, Barberton Mines has an effective closed-loop water recycling circuit.
CO2 Emissions: Mining consumes vast energy amounts, leading to significant carbon emissions.	Transition to Renewable Energy: PAR is transitioning to clean energy sources like solar. The Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant has a solar photovoltaic plant that reduces CO2 emissions by over 26,000 tonnes annually.
Community Dependency: Mines are often the primary job providers in surrounding communities, but these opportunities are not sustainable due to finite ore bodies.	Community Development: PAR focuses on diversifying economic activity in mining communities. An example is the 45-hectare blueberry farm in Barberton, which provides a sustainable revenue stream.
Illegal Mining: Poverty and unemployment can lead to increased illegal mining, posing risks to safety, the environment, and local economies.	Combatting Illegal Mining: PAR has implemented strategies to prevent and combat illegal activities, including community-based crime prevention initiatives and rehabilitating old shafts.

Conclusion

Mineral consumption creates economic growth and provides jobs and prosperity. Historically, mining was often achieved at significant environmental cost, but today improved, lower impact mining practices, more efficient technologies and a sense of environmental stewardship is helping the mining sector lower its environmental footprint, as well as optimise its contributions to positive social change.

This isn’t just borne of a need to meet compliance regulations and appease investors increasingly sensitive to a company’s ESG credentials; sustainable mining is already providing a competitive business advantage. In the future, this early adoption will pay even greater dividends.

These are the foundations of a social and environmental policy that will drive the world towards sustainable mining operations.

Conclusion

These are the foundations of a social and environmental policy that will drive the world towards sustainable mining operations.

FAQs:

1. What traits define sustainable mining?

Sustainable mining is defined by a set of key traits that prioritize environmental, social, and economic considerations. These traits include:

Environmental Stewardship: Implementing practices that minimize environmental degradation, reduce carbon footprint, and promote biodiversity.

Community Engagement: Actively involving local communities in decision-making processes, ensuring their rights and cultural heritage are respected.

Economic Viability: Ensuring that mining operations are economically viable without compromising the well-being of future generations.

Efficient Resource Use: Adopting technologies and methods that maximize resource extraction while minimizing waste.

Safety and Health: Prioritizing the safety and health of workers and surrounding communities.

Transparency and Accountability: Maintaining open communication with stakeholders and adhering to global standards and best practices.

By integrating these traits, sustainable mining aims to balance the need for mineral resources with the responsibility to protect the environment and benefit society at large.

2. Which mining method is the most environmentally friendly?

The most environmentally friendly mining practices prioritize reducing the environmental footprint of operations. Here are some key environmentally sustainable practices highlighted by Pan African Resources:

Tailings Reuse: Mining produces vast amounts of waste in the form of rocks and tailings. Leading sustainable miners, like Pan African Resources, actively re-treat tailings to recover minerals and trace elements left over from previous generations of processing technology. By mining waste, significant economic value can be generated with a minimal environmental footprint. For instance, Pan African Resources’ Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant processes historic tailings, transforming a historic environmental liability into profit.

Water Conservation: Mining operations require significant volumes of water. Modern water treatment technologies, such as biological processes, desalination, evaporation, and crystallisation, allow miners to optimize their water cycle by continuously reusing process water in a closed-loop circuit. This approach reduces freshwater demand and ensures that discharge meets high environmental standards.

Transitioning to Renewable Energy: Mining is a significant consumer of energy. Transitioning to clean energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power not only reduces carbon emissions but also improves the efficiency, costs, and reliability of power supply. For example, the Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant in Evander, Mpumalanga, has a new solar photovoltaic plant that provides up to 10 MW of clean energy, reducing CO2 emissions by over 26,000 tonnes per year.