gmi … greedy miners immune?
the latest in mining greenwash
dave sweeney
, foe australia
In the lead up to the Earth Summit in
Johannesburg, the international mining
industry is spending heavily to present
itself as clean, green and caring. Mining
campaigner Dave Sweeney takes a look at the
Global Mining Initiative, the latest round
in the struggle for the public's hearts and
mines.
they're onto us… do something!
At a sumptuous London luncheon in the
late1990s, senior executives from Rio Tinto
and Australia-based mining giant WMC
shared concern over the increased
scrutiny and opposition their international
mining operations were being exposed
to.
Indigenous peoples, environmentalists,
local communities, labour activists,
ethical investors and journalists were
highlighting the unacceptable human and
environmental impacts of large-scale
extractive projects. The global mining
giants were worried this could restrict
access to project capital and insurance,
and increase resistance from national
governments.
Something needed to be done… so the Global
Mining Initiative (GMI) was born.
winning friends and trust?
Rio Tinto's Sir Robert Wilson
describes the GMI as an industry-driven
initiative which aims to "confirm the vital
importance of mining and its products to
society" through a process which "will win
friends and better trust and mutual
understanding with critics." Initially
funded by the companies that make up the
Mining and Minerals Working Group of the
World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (Anglo American, BHP Billiton,
Codelco, Newmont, Noranda, Phelps Dodge,
Placer Dome, Rio Tinto and WMC), the GMI
now enjoys active financial support from
approximately 30 of the world's largest
miners.
With a pedigree like this, it's no
surprise that most environmental,
indigenous and human rights NGOs view the
GMI as an exercise in corporate
grandstanding and greenwashing, and have
refused to participate or otherwise
legitimize the process.
ngos steer clear of mmsd
A key GMI project is MMSD -- Mining,
Minerals and Sustainable Development. This
process aims to identify "how mining and
minerals can best contribute to the global
transition to sustainable development" and
is being convened by the London-based
International Institute for Environment and
Development. Most key NGOs have been
critical of MMSD. They have actively
declined to be part of a process which they
maintain lacks independence and credibility
and will never accurately reflect the views
of the communities most affected by mining.
Yet the international mining industry has
high hopes that this process will help
shape mining discussions at the upcoming
Earth Summit in Johannesburg this
August.
looking through the facade
Friends of the Earth International and
the FoE Mining Campaign have been vocal
critics of this latest industry push. FoE
maintains that mining is inherently
unsustainable in its depletion of
non-renewable natural and cultural
resources. A sustainable future cannot be
based on the consumption of ever-increasing
amounts of minerals and fuels. Rather, it
will require waste reduction, material
efficiencies and an increase in recycling,
reuse and renewable energy technology.
National FoE groups have also highlighted
the inconsistent positions taken by mining
companies who sponsor the GMI. Rio Tinto
speaks of the importance of "listening" to
communities but appears deaf when it comes
to the clear opposition of the Mirrar
Aboriginal community against the planned
Jabiluka uranium mine in Australia's Kakadu
National Park. BHP Billiton takes the
profit but not the costs from operations at
Ok Tedi in PNG. The pursuit of profit,
above all else, is sadly all too common in
the global mining sector, with tragic
consequences for communities and the
environment.
The gap between the “spin” that emanates
from mining head office spokespeople and
the reality of their field operations is
vast. The credibility gap of these latest
public relations initiatives is no
exception.
foei rejects the mmsd
On the MMSD process, FoEI has stated
that the "companies that have made a
business out of taking the wealth of
communities through large-scale mines are
not appropriate arbiters of how mining
should take place. Nor should they decide
which techno-fix or other strategy will
make mining 'sustainable'. As a result, we
reject the GMI and the MMSD process and all
other forms of greenwashing of and by the
mining industry which aim to co-opt the
very notion of sustainability".
A simple message with profound
implications. Amidst the growing industry
hype and self-congratulation, let's see if
any corporate "listeners" really hear the
message. And let's keep organizing for the
protection of planet earth and its
peoples.
Information on the GMI and FoEI's mining
campaign can be found at
www.foei.org/mining
,
www.minesandcommunities.org
and
www.globalminingcampaign.org.
