Mid Sweden University

Current material supply-demand imbalances are driven by situational- rather than physical scarcities, resulting in a growing interest among government, civil society, and industry to consider not only the availability of mineral resources, but also the sustainability implications of its production. This, in turn, places increasing pressure on mining companies to broaden its concerns when planning new mining projects, covering its “social license to operate” by incorporating strategies for limiting negative socio-environmental impacts alongside calculations of the project’s economic viability as well as balancing a large number of potential stakeholders and interests. Accordingly, understanding also the socio-political context of mineral development is crucial for development of sustainable practices within the mining industry. By applying a sustainable development-framework this article outlines the complex web of challenges associated with sustainable mineral extraction, ranging from technological and economic development to political and institutional concerns on how to govern and manage scarce resources in a globalized world.