Listed mining sector and communication on sustainable development: can do a lot better

Well known for the colossal revenue it generates worldwide, the listed mining sector remains highly exposed and has to contend with enormous Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.

Novethic, in collaboration with Be-linked has published a study analysing the main listed mining companies’ communication on sustainable development and the nature of their relations with NGOs. The study focuses on 23 mining companies listed on European markets. Within this group, 12 companies are considered to provide partial communication, while 5 companies are deemed to offer only opaque reporting, amongst them Glencore, one of the mining giants. In light of the fact that mining companies made up 70% of the new entries on the London Stock Exchange in the first half of 2011, this study serves as an important warning to institutional investors of the eventual risks that the conflicts between mining companies and NGOs represent as well as the gaps in their reporting.
 

Reconciled for Lobbying

Greenpeace/WWF/FSC/Kimberly Clark/Ikea/Bunnings

Once accused by Greenpeace of polluting the environment, the Australian subsidiary of KC, the hygienic tissue paper products company has decided to join forces with NGOs in combating the illegal timber trade. The Australian government wants to pass legislation that would propose a five year prison sentence for the illegal importing of timber and to promote a code of conduct for national and international suppliers. For Greenpeace, KC and other businesses such as Bunnings and Ikea who have rallied to the cause, the proposed bill falls short of what is needed. They have therefore launched a common platform consisting of eleven elements aimed at reinforcing the law. The mandatory inclusion of an ecological and proven traceability approach for timber industries is one of the points the group would like to see included.