How do national mining industry associations compare on sustainable development?

This study establishes new knowledge about country-level mining industry associations with respect to sustainable development. Industry associations present an opportunity for diffusion of leading practice norms and standards in this arena. We examined the emergence of mining industry associations, their public statements about sustainability, and the degree to which they general statements were translated into formal policies. Of 61 mining industry associations with web presence, 20 (33%) had not made a public statement about sustainability. Of the 41 associations that had made a public statement about sustainability, 13 (32%) did not have a sustainable development policy, or a position that translated general statements into specific commitments. Only half of the associations with a web presence mention the social aspects of mining. These findings highlight a significant gap in the coverage of sustainable development and associated policy commitments among mining industry associations. The study raises questions about the degree to which country-level mining industry associations are approaching sustainable development in a meaningful way, and what can be done to avoid promulgating sustainability “spin”