JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The latest environmental guideline report aimed at the mining industry has been welcomed as a first step in starting the process of finding the delicate balance between mining economically and biodiversity protection, a panel agreed on Thursday.

Speaking at a Gordon Institute of Business Science discussion, outgoing Coal of Africa (CoAL) CEO John Wallington said the ‘Mining and Biodiversity Guideline: Mainstreaming biodiversity into the mining sector’ report, released by Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa on Tuesday, was the start of a more collaborative journey to sustainable mining.

The ‘Mining & Biodiversity: exploring the business value proposition’ discussion was held in conjunction with the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the South African National Biodiversity Institute's Grasslands programme and the South African Mining and Biodiversity Forum.

The panel included Wallington, Optimum Coal CEO and Chamber of Mines VP Mike Teke, De Beers head of safety and sustainable development and National Business Initiative director Deirdré Lingenfelder and Standard Bank head of environmental mining, energy and infrastructure finance Nigel Beck.

The mining industry was under increasing pressure to integrate biodiversity protection into mine plans, and the guideline document, recognising the importance of both mining and the environment, aimed to provide the sector with directives on how to avoid, limit or remedy mining impacts as part of a thorough environmental-impact assessment (EIA) and robust environmental management programme.

Wallington said that a balance between the two extremes – destructive mining and extreme environmental demands – needed to be established, adding that the solution was not simply black or white, but shades of grey, owing to the significant trade-offs between them.

The mining industry was in a crisis, on the back of labour challenges, land-use issues, rising costs, weakening currencies and pricing, and constrained budgets, he said, adding that more than 30% of platinum companies were in the red.

Lingenfelder noted that extreme environmental measures limited the scope for growth in the mining sector, but conceded that a lack of sustainability could impact the business and its ability to perform and attract new talent, as well as harm its reputation.

She added that the challenge was “much bigger than the mining industry” and required changes in thinking, culture, technology, the education of leaders and investment plans.

Compromises would have to be made, as stakeholders, communities and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) watched the industry’s actions carefully, while critical role-players needed to define the trade-offs, Teke added.

Historically, the mining industry had neglected much of the environment and had “made many mistakes” during its operations, breaking down critically needed trust, he added.

He questioned whether the parties involved would continue to “fight”, which would be counterproductive, or whether they would collaborate in developing a sustainable solution.

However, the panel agreed that the report was a step in the right direction, indicating that government, industry, communities and NGOs were all willing to work towards a sustainable solution together.

Wallington noted that the guideline also marked improved cooperation between the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Mineral Resources, sparked by the challenges to the legitimacy of the operations of CoAL’s Vele mine, in Limpopo, which had since received an independent environmental audit compliance exceeding 90%.

The Vele opencast mine development attracted a flood of criticism from environmental groups following its inception near the Mapungubwe Nature Reserve – a World Heritage site.

However, Wallington and the Save Mapungubwe Coalition had worked towards the sustainable development, preservation and protection of the Mapungubwe cultural landscape, establishing precedent-setting best practice and mitigating the impacts of mining and related activities on the environment, water and heritage resources.

This was in line with the Mining and Biodiversity Guideline’s aim of encouraging proactive planning to prevent the disturbance of ecosystems and biodiversity as the starting assumption.

The new guideline outlined six principles, including applying the law, using the best available biodiversity information, engaging all relevant stakeholders thoroughly and using the best-practice EIA to identify, assess and evaluate impacts on biodiversity.

It also included applying the mitigation hierarchy in planning any mining-related activities and in developing robust environmental management programmes.