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I was recently introduced to the EY risks and opportunities report for mining and metals that consolidates their polled and professional view of the industry. This is a great yardstick to see not only what the big challenges are for us in the next year, but how these risks are evolving over time.
Having read through the paper (and some of the previous ones) it is clear to me that a few important trends are emerging – particularly ones where taking a geographic approach will help achieve the ambitious new goals that mining organisations are setting.
Social license to operate, or more formally, ESG, is not only the highest rated risk, but has increased significantly even from last year. There are many aspects to this, but one that comes to mind is using geospatial technology to help create a baseline and measure performance of the initiatives created under this goal. Simply put, use GIS technology to capture impacts on the environment and communities. This may be through traditional digital means such as mobile forms like Survey123, or it could be through a more real-time connected system that leverages IoT sensors in the field to report readings periodically and crucially, automatically. But getting the data is really just the start. Being able to analyse that rich information, in geographic space, helps to determine how ESG initiatives are achieving their aims in the communities that need them most, or in natural environments that are most sensitive is highly valuable in getting the best results possible.
Decarbonisation is a process that is gaining traction across multiple industries and mining is no different. How do large organisations sustainably manage and offset that harmful carbon that they generate in their operations? And specifically where do they do it? Leveraging geospatial technology helps to optimally target locations for new projects such as renewable energy, carbon offsetting or even sequestration.
There are many more examples linked to the findings of the report. It is our challenge as geospatial professionals to bring the power of geography to advance, achieve and even surpass the targets being set by our organisations. If we are not doing for job satisfaction, we should certainly be doing it to allow future generations to enjoy this earth the way we have.
