Enhancing sustainability in the mining industry through stakeholder engagement

This study examines sustainability in the mining industry through stakeholder engagement. Sustainability in the mining industry is important because mining operations have a significant impact on social, economic and environmental issues in society. Stakeholder engagement is needed to constructively address sustainability related topics with various stakeholders, such as local people, employees and the government. Previous literature emphasises the importance of constructive engagement when it comes to enhancing sustainability. Sustainability issues are often complex and cannot be solved by the company alone. The purpose of this study is to examine how sustainability can be enhanced through stakeholder engagement. This study is a qualitative case study focusing on a single case, the opencast lignite mines that are operated by RWE Power AG (RWE) in the Rhenish coal fields in Germany. These mines, Hambach, Inden and Garzweiler, are treated as a single case because they are located in close vicinity of each other and operated by the same company. They share many stakeholders, many of whom are actively engaging with RWE. Extensive landscaping projects have been completed in this mining area. Some projects are ongoing, and more are planned for when the mining operations end. The primary data in this study consists of news articles collected from the online archive of a local newspaper, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. The total number of articles is 88 and they are published from September 2017 until August 2019. The mining operations have attracted media attention and many stakeholders are represented in the articles. Secondary data consists of RWE’s reports and an interview with an RWE’s spokesperson. Qualitative content analysis is used. The analysis focused on identifying RWE’s stakeholders and stakeholder engagement related to the case. In the findings, nine stakeholder categories are identified and 40 stakeholder groups under these categories. Six different types of stakeholder engagement are identified. The constructive types of engagement, dialogue and collaboration are identified to enhance sustainability. This study proposes that constructive engagement with stakeholders is necessary to enhance sustainability through stakeholder engagement. Sustainability was enhanced only through dialogue and collaboration. Stakeholders’ orientations towards the mining company, as well as the mining company’s orientations towards the stakeholders, affect the opportunities for establishing constructive engagement. Opportunities to engage constructively and enhance sustainability do not differ between primary and secondary stakeholders. Aspects of sustainability that are enhanced are in line with what the stakeholders’ sustainability goals are. Future research could further examine how do stakeholders’ sustainability goals affect company-stakeholder engagement related to sustainability. Stakeholder engagement in this case could be further analysed with other types of data