Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal最新文献

{"title":"Barriers to introducing non-mining land uses onto operational mines as perceived and experienced by experts in Australia","authors":"James Purtill ,&nbsp;Vigya Sharma ,&nbsp;Guy Boggs","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101841","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101841","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Every mining jurisdiction in Australia expects mined land to be progressively rehabilitated to achieve a safe, stable, non-polluting landform, capable of sustaining a post-mining land use. Resource communities, especially those extracting carbon-intensive commodities, face an imminent prospect of transitions away from those commodities. In the case of thermal coal, this transition will likely occur well before the resource itself is exhausted. This paper seeks to better understand the barriers to rehabilitated mine lands progressively transitioning to a post-mining land use on operational mine sites as perceived and experienced by experts in Australia. Given very little in the literature has canvassed the views of mine rehabilitation experts in this matter, an expert elicitation survey was conducted to better understand these perceived and experienced barriers. Specifically, the focus was to explore barriers external to the commercial decisions of the mining companies themselves. Survey participants showed strong alignment around potential barriers pertaining to uncertainty of closure acceptance criteria, residual liabilities and apportionment of liabilities impeding deployment of innovative non-mining land uses. While the research draws heavily on examples emanating from Australian experience, the insights gained have broad applicability and relevance for governments and industry across other jurisdictions facing progressive rehabilitation and mine transition challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101841"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the twin transition: military drivers of critical minerals’ expansion","authors":"Phil Johnstone ,&nbsp;Anabel Marín","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101836","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101836","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An accelerating clean energy and digital “twin transition” is widely identified as the primary driver of rising critical minerals extraction. Policy institutions and academic analyses highlight a range of complex challenges for sustainable development that follow from this. Far less attention is paid to another core driver: accelerating military mobilisation and war-related technological change. This perspective paper shifts attention to the dynamics of military demand for minerals and critically examines the implications for sustainable development. We trace the long-standing role of military demand in shaping critical minerals extraction and the emergence of persistent sustainability challenges. We outline how military demand continues to shape critical minerals classifications, priorities, extraction volumes and policy approaches – an influence that has strengthened recently yet is rarely considered in prominent forecasts and concerns around demand and supply. We then consider military demand in the context of prominent social, economic and environmental sustainability concerns in extractive industries today. While increased military influence may spur some innovation, it is likely to exacerbate persistent developmental and environmental problems in mining, and potentially undermine current frameworks and initiatives for sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101836"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impeding metal-mining expansion in post-coup Honduras: Capital-state-resistance dynamics and the contradictions between force and hegemony","authors":"Nathan Edenhofer","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metal-mining extractivism is on the defensive in Honduras. Following the 2009 coup against President Manuel Zelaya, all signs pointed towards an expansion of metal-mining: radical neoliberalization; authoritarian governance; mining policy reform; hundreds of new concessions; domestic and transnational capital interest; and violence with impunity against environmentalists. Despite this, no post-coup metal-mining projects were exporting by the end of 2024. Relying on 47 interviews conducted in Honduras, GIS analysis, and export data, I argue that the strategic relations between capital, the state, and territorial movements undermined capitalist hegemony around mining, thereby undermining stability for mining capital. Pro-mining interests could generate neither material compromises nor compelling discourses necessary to construct hegemony in the territories containing mining concessions. Instead, mining companies opted for force over consent-building strategies. Resistance movements filled the discursive gap, weaving anti-mining discourses into in-depth territorial organizing. The state, debilitated by neoliberal reforms and lacking sufficient autonomy from capital, could not impose hegemony-supporting compromises between companies and communities. As hegemony faltered, movements disrupted mining projects, generating investment risk that caused metal-mining stagnation. This research shows that organized, ordinary people are central to impeding extractivism; impunity does not equal powerlessness of resistance; and coercion can undermine, rather than support, capitalist and extractivist hegemony.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101843"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mercury management at artisanal and small-scale gold mines in sub-Saharan Africa: Some key challenges for donors and policymakers","authors":"Felicia Achamah ,&nbsp;Ekow Bartels","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101850","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101850","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This commentary raises several important concerns about the operationalisation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury – a United Nations treaty that commits ratifying countries to address mercury emission sources, with significant emphasis on artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) – in sub-Saharan Africa. On the one hand, methylmercury is toxic, and therefore, exposure to it must be minimised at all costs. On the other hand, and as explained in depth in the literature, individuals engaged in ASGM across sub-Saharan Africa depend on mercury to amalgamate their gold; the proceeds from its sales are relied upon by hundreds of thousands of the region’s families for their incomes. The concern moving forward, however, is that there are few viable substitutes for mercury in ASGM: it is inexpensive and effective, and access to it ultimately facilitates improved livelihoods (by sustaining gold production in the sector). These challenges are explored more closely through a case study of Ghana, the location of one of the largest ASGM sectors in sub-Saharan Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101850"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A conceptual framework for mineral supply chain traceability: Enabling conditions and core dimensions","authors":"Paulina Fernández ,&nbsp;Michael Tost ,&nbsp;Daniel Monfort Climent ,&nbsp;Thania Nowaz ,&nbsp;Emilio Castillo","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Companies trading in mineral resources must monitor supply chains rigorously, as minerals may originate from conflict-affected areas and present risks like human rights abuses, environmental damage, and corruption. Beyond regulatory pressures mandating ethical sourcing and transparency, consumers, NGOs, employees, and investors increasingly demand robust due diligence and detailed information on material origin. A central element of these practices is traceability, which enables companies to verify that their sourcing aligns with corporate standards and sustainability goals. Despite progress, traceability initiatives remain fragmented, often addressing isolated issues rather than forming a unified framework. The complexity of mineral supply chains, involving numerous actors and diverse requirements, further complicates the implementation of traceability. This study proposes an integrated conceptual framework for mineral supply chain traceability, developed through an extensive review of academic literature, technical and regulatory documents, and refined through expert validation. The framework organises traceability into enabling conditions and core dimensions across five interdependent categories, consisting of a total of twenty factors: Governance and compliance, Supply chain management, Social and environmental impacts, Technology and analytics, and Performance and evaluation. It is emphasised that effective traceability is a systemic task that requires solid institutional structures, coordinated operational practices, meaningful social and environmental commitments, appropriate technological tools, and continuous evaluation mechanisms. Technologies such as blockchain or digital product passports only prove their effectiveness when integrated into favourable conditions. The proposed framework provides policymakers, industry actors and certification bodies with a coherent structure for designing, assessing and strengthening traceability across diverse mineral supply chains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101858"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global trends and untapped potential of critical minerals for a sustainable future in the Arabian Peninsula","authors":"Muhammad Zaka Emad ,&nbsp;Arshad Raza ,&nbsp;Mohamed Mahmoud ,&nbsp;Muhammad Shahzad Kamal ,&nbsp;Daniyal Abbasi","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101840","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101840","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The advancement in technology such as renewable energy systems, satellite missions, and others, has led to the exploration of new raw materials termed as critical minerals. The energy transition in particularly the development and production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and semiconductors needs critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel, but their supply chain is currently present in the most vulnerable locations, posing a threat to the world markets. For instance, over 70 % of cobalt originates in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while China dominates processing 80 % of critical minerals. This article takes into account global distribution, supply risk, and eco-friendly extraction of critical minerals, with special emphasis on the unutilized potential of the Arabian Peninsula. Arabian Shield (a Precambrian geological formation extending across Saudi Arabia and Oman) is host to significant deposits of phosphates, copper, gold, and critical minerals. Supported by strategic visions like Saudi Vision 2030, the area is poised to diversify the hydrocarbon-driven economy through sustainable mineral development. This article reviews the role of critical minerals in energy transition with a focus on cleaner methods, and concerns related to their global supply chains. Critical mineral potential of the Arabian Peninsula is also reviewed about the next-generation. Mineral potential of the Arabian Peninsula based on next-generation exploration technologies like AI and remote sensing. Examples of successful sustainable mining operations (e.g., Ma'aden phosphate projects) and policy measures for reducing environmental and social impacts. Through integrating geology, economics, and logistics, this review highlights the Arabian Peninsula's capacity to secure global mineral supply chains in a manner that is in line with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101840"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From cultural landscapes to carbon sinks: The semiotics of green extractivism in Ecuador","authors":"Craig A. Johnson ,&nbsp;Matthew McBurney ,&nbsp;Luis Alberto Tuaza","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article explores the political legitimization of <em>Programa Socio Bosque</em> (PSB, or “Forest Partnership”), an Ecuadorian carbon offset program that uses payments for ecosystem services (PES) to combat deforestation, store carbon, and improve life for communities living in and around forest areas. By drawing upon an original database of official planning documents from 2007 to 2025, we contend that the Ecuadorian state used Indigenous concepts like <em>Pachamama</em> and <em>buen vivir</em> to justify the contradiction of paying communities to conserve land in a country that remains highly dependent on oil and resource extraction. Theoretically, our analysis points to a broader understanding of green extractivism that entails monetizing cultural landscapes, habitats, and ecosystems whose “ecological services” are deemed valuable for reducing CO2 emissions and tackling climate change. It also highlights the semiotic power of using Indigenous and environmental discourses to build state legitimacy in the agrarian frontier.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101857"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges in the development of the extractive industries sector in Tajikistan: The case of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative","authors":"Oliya Maxudova ,&nbsp;Kaoru Natsuda","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2026.101855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The extractive industry is one of Tajikistan's fastest-growing sectors, contributing to industrialisation, employment creation, and export earnings. Although Tajikistan joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2013, its membership was suspended three times. According to the third Validation Assessment in April 2025, Tajikistan made fairly low progress in EITI implementation. This study examines why Tajikistan is unable to improve its natural resource management in the extractive industries sector under the EITI Standard, by identifying two fundamental challenges: poor state capacity and insufficient engagement of the multi-stakeholder group (particularly civil society participation). Due to EITI’s universal approach and voluntary system, the EITI framework has limitations in less democratic post-Soviet countries. Hence, the EITI membership in Tajikistan seems to be playing a window-dressing role, rather than tackling fundamental challenges in natural resource management and the sustainable development of the extractive industries sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101855"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mining companies’ contribution to sustainable development in senegal: Assessing the effectiveness of voluntary social expenditures","authors":"Idiatou Bah ,&nbsp;Thierno Bachir Sy ,&nbsp;Amadou Tandjigora","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article analyzes the impact of voluntary social expenditures (VSEs) by extractive companies across Senegal’s administrative departments between 2017 and 2021, assessing their alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study introduces a Sustainability Index (SI) to evaluate the effectiveness of social investments by company and by region. Findings reveal significant regional disparities: Tivaouane, Saraya, Kédougou, and Saint-Louis recorded the highest SI scores, while Kanel, Bambey, and Rufisque posted consistently low results. The strategic alignment of investments indicates a prioritization of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), while other goals, such as SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and remain under-addressed. The company-level evolution of SI scores also highlights notable variations—SGO and SEPHOS show consistent investment behavior, whereas BP Senegal and CGO demonstrate year-to-year fluctuations. The study identifies a lack of coordination with local public policies, which undermines the overall social impact of these expenditures. To enhance their effectiveness, the study recommends aligning social investments with national development priorities and strengthening public–private partnerships to ensure meaningful contributions toward the SDGs in Senegal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article 101803"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145320925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainability assessment of Las Bambas copper mine: Reviewing disclosures","authors":"Fatemeh Hassanpourroudbeneh ,&nbsp;Pouya Zangeneh","doi":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101787","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exis.2025.101787","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining plays a significant role in social development, contributing directly or indirectly to almost all aspects of modern life and economic sectors. However, while mining generates significant economic benefits, it often creates environmental and social challenges. This study focuses on the Las Bambas copper mine in Peru, one of the largest open-pit mines in South America and a focal point of socio-environmental conflict. Using a longitudinal dataset of sustainability reports published between 2014 and 2023, the study develops and applies a four-step content analysis framework that integrates the ICMM principles, GRI standards, SDGs, and stakeholder concerns. This framework enables a systematic evaluation of the scope, consistency, and depth of reporting across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The analysis highlights both achievements and reporting gaps, showing how sustainability disclosures can simultaneously clarify and obscure mining impacts. The Las Bambas case demonstrates the value of critical application of a framework for assessing corporate sustainability practices and provides insights applicable to other extractive industries where the credibility of reporting remains contested.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47848,"journal":{"name":"Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article 101787"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}