Glossary of terms – Mine closure hub
This glossary of terms has been developed to help navigate the technical language used by mining companies, including around mine closure.
These terms and their definitions have been adapted from:
- AusIMM Social Responsibility Framework, Appendix 5: Social Performance Definitions ICMM Community Development Toolkit. Available at https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/guidance/social-performance/community-development-toolkit
- IFC, 2014, A Strategic Approach to Early Stakeholder Engagement, A Good Practice Handbook for Junior Companies in the Extractive Industries, Available at https://commdev.org/publications/a-strategic-approach-to-early-stakeholder-engagement/
- ICMM Integrated Mine Closure Good Practice Guide, 2nd Edition (2019). Available at https://www.icmm.com/website/publications/pdfs/environmental-stewardship/2019/guidance_integrated-mine-closure.pdf
50. Social licence to operate
A much-debated colloquial term referring to the level of acceptance or approval continually granted to an organisation’s operations by a local community and other stakeholders.
Some scholars choose not to use this term. They argue that it encourages mining companies to limit their thinking to those factors that threaten their ability to achieve business objectives. Taking such a narrow risk perspective may increase the likelihood that the burden of risk is carried by those people with the least resources to deal with it (such as host communities).
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Professor Sandy Worden
Research Fellow, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining