Corporate social responsibility in
the mineral industry
- Federal government releases its CSR strategy for the
international extractive sector
Building the Canadian advantage: A CSR strategy for the
international extractive sector was released by the federal
government in March. The document is a response to the final report
of the roundtable advisory group,
National roundtables on corporate social responsibility (CSR)
and the Canadian extractive industry in developing countries.
Commitments in the new policy include: supporting initiatives to
help developing countries manage the development of minerals and oil
and gas and benefit from these resources to reduce poverty;
promoting international CSR performance guidelines; establishing a
CSR counsellor to assist stakeholders in the resolution of CSR
issues; and supporting the development of a CSR Centre of
Excellence. The full text of the policy is
here.
- PDAC responds to government’s CSR strategy
The PDAC responded to the federal government’s CSR policy on April
30 with eleven recommendations. The association emphasizes that it
shares the same goal as the federal government and other
stakeholders: “to encourage and enable performance improvements in
CSR for Canadian companies operating both domestically and abroad,
in a transparent and accountable manner.” However, the association
states, CSR is only one part of the equation. “The other critical
component is host-country governance capacity-building. Reducing the
risk of conflict and optimizing the benefits of exploration and
mining in developing countries will require attention to both areas
if meaningful progress in this complex area is going to be
achieved.” The full text is
here.
- Corporate accountability in developing countries bill
moves to committee stage
Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the
Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries Act
was introduced by MP John McKay to the House of Commons on February
9. This Private Member’s Bill passed first and second readings and
has been referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and
International Development. The stated purpose of the proposed
legislation is “to ensure that corporations engaged in mining, oil
or gas activities and receiving support from the Government of
Canada act in a manner consistent with international environmental
best practices and with Canada’s commitments to international human
rights standards.” A copy of the bill is
here. For
copies of the debate leading up to the vote, please send an email to
Saley Lawton.
- PDAC writes to McKay about Bill C-300
In a letter, dated April 21, to John McKay, the PDAC identifies two
events that signaled how industry and government intend to move
forward on CSR: the first was the launch in March of the
e3
Plus: A Framework for Responsible Exploration and the
second was the federal government’s positive and constructive
response contained in Building the Canadian Advantage: A CSR
Strategy for the International Extractive Sector (described
above). Moreover, the letter states, no mention is made of the
important role that mineral exploration and mining play in social
improvement and economic sustainability in Canada and
internationally. The PDAC’s letter is
here.
- PDAC’s e3 Plus attracts attention
Following its launch at PDAC Convention 2009, e3 Plus: A
Framework for Responsible Exploration is attracting attention
in Canada and overseas. In March, Bernarda Elizalde, program
director, sustainable development, gave a presentation about CSR and
the new program to a meeting in Ecuador organized by the Canadian
embassy and the Canadian-Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce. Elizalde’s
presentation stimulated interest in developing a mining industry
code of conduct for Ecuador, based on e3 Plus principles and
guidance.
Third annual Student-Industry Mineral
Exploration Workshop was a resounding success
Twenty-four earth science students congregated in Sudbury during the
first two weeks of May to gain some hands-on experience of mineral
exploration and working in the field. This was the third workshop that
the PDAC had hosted and, by all accounts, was very successful. Students
attending are handpicked by a selection committee which reviews all
applications and recommendations from respective university faculties.
Click
here to see who participated and their universities. For the second
year, CTV covered the event. You can watch the CTV clips from both 2008
and 2009
here. Full coverage of the workshop, including thoughts and comments
from the students, will be included in the upcoming issue of PDAC in
Brief.
Nunavut land use planning legislation
should be revised
The PDAC, together with the Mining Association of Canada and the NWT &
Nunavut Chamber of Mines, has been developing a response to the draft
Nunavut Land Use Planning and Impact Assessment Act. The proposed
legislation fulfills a commitment made in the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims
Agreement (NLCA) to enact federal legislation establishing the Nunavut
Planning Commission and the Nunavut Impact Review Board in law. While
these agencies have been in existence since 1996, they have operated
entirely under the provisions of the NLCA since that time. The new
legislation is expected to have significant longterm ramifications for
mineral exploration, mine development and mining operations in Nunavut.
In their submission of May 6, 2009, the three industry groups offer
recommendations on the legislation prior to its introduction into
Parliament. The submission is
here.
NRCan minister announces
accelerated funding for geomapping
Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt announced a number of
initiatives recently during the annual conference of the Canadian
Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Among them were
accelerated funding, from $22 million to $30 million, this year for the
Geomapping for Energy and Minerals program and $250,000 in funding for
the Canadian Mining Innovation Council. The minister also announced that
the CIM will be hosting a new CSR Centre of Excellence.
Full
details.
Resources for Aboriginal
communities and mineral industry employers
The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) has recently launched
an awareness campaign to help this country’s Aboriginal communities and
the mining industry work together. Supporting this initiative are two
resources: Mastering Aboriginal Inclusion in Mining, a module series
developed in partnership with the Aboriginal Human Resource Council, and
the Mining Industry Human Resources Guide for Aboriginal Communities,
developed by a number of organizations, including the PDAC. More details
here.
Barbara Hendrickson to receive
Women’s Law Association of Ontario 2009 President’s Award ● Toronto,
June 3
PDAC director and co-chair of the association’s securities committee
will be presented with the 2009 President’s Award by the Women’s Law
Association of Ontario. The presentation will be made on Wednesday, June
3 at the Albany Club, 91 King Street East. Ms. Hendrickson is being
recognized for her outstanding service within the profession and her
leadership role in advancing the position of women lawyers. Click
here to purchase tickets to the event.
Financing opportunities
for mining ventures & going public with the TSX Venture CPC program ●
Toronto, June 23 ● Vancouver, October 2
Two half-day seminars, offered by MineAfrica, feature presentations by
private and public mining companies to an audience of TMX Group-listed
Capital Pool Companies (CPCs) looking for qualifying transactions and
senior representatives from the financial and mining industries. The
program includes a networking lunch, keynote address by a senior
representative from the TMX Group, mining company presentations, and
one-on-one meetings between CPC managers. Full details
here.
