Is there common ground to be found to mine the minerals that are in demand while ensuring nearby communities receive the economic benefits and are environmentally protected?
The City of Greater Sudbury is hosting the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OEDC) Conference of Mining Regions and Cities next month that’s expected to attract 300-some delegates from the private and public sectors, civil society groups, academia and Indigenous organizations.
The conference runs from Oct. 8 to 11 at the Holiday Inn in Sudbury.
The OECD is an international policy forum made up of the world's richest countries that are out to develop standards to promote sustainable economic growth and social well-being of people around the globe.
According to the conference agenda, the pressure is on to mine minerals for the electric vehicle and tech industries, and for domestic security of supply, but there are trade-offs to consider on the economic, social and environmental side for communities, especially Indigenous ones.
There’s expected to be plenty of discussion on best practices, strategies, and identifying actions on possibly producing a new stakeholder engagement model in mining regions that maybe goes beyond the current ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) corporate standard.
The two key themes involve:
- Partnering for sustained development in mining regions
- Future-proofing regional mineral supply for the energy transition
A particular focus on is Indigenous peoples in mining regions.
The agenda is here. More details and list of the speakers from Canada, the U.S., South America, Europe, Africa and Australia are here.
