Extractive Sector Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Session

The Extractive Sector Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Series aims at creating a constructive and safe space to hold conversations in a collaborative spirit, so as to increase the extractive industry stakeholders’ understanding of one another, and their understanding of key challenges facing the extractive sector. The series also provides for the development of an expanded network for sharing, learning, capturing the diversity of thoughts and perspectives on the extractive sector.

Our topic this year will be environmental and social disclosure practices for the mining industry, with a focus on NI 43-101, the most comprehensive reporting standard employed by the industry. The National Instrument 43-101, developed in the wake of the Bre-X scandal, established reporting standards for public disclosure of scientific and technical information on mineral projects, capable of encompassing exploration, geology, resources, reserves, mining method, mineral processing, recovery, markets, environment permitting and community impact, costs, economics and adjacent properties. However, a 2013 review revealed a worrying frequency of deficiencies in reporting environmental and social risks. The 2014 Mount Polley dam failure further emphasized the need for better environmental disclosure.

CIM Council adopted in May 2016 a proposal put together with MAC and PDAC to create a working group on environmental, social and governance disclosure to improve the environment, social and related governance disclosure practices for the minerals and metals industry. The objective of the upcoming multi-stakeholder dialogue session is to provide a dialogue space to discuss the concerns and challenges related to developing guidance for environmental and social disclosures and meeting the needs of all stakeholders.

After perspectives shared by Autorité des Marchés Financiers geologist Luc Arsenault, PDAC executive director Andrew Cheatle, and Publish What You Pay director Claire Woodside, participants will engage in a facilitated dialogue in a world café format with various stakeholders from industry, government, various NGOs and communities, to discuss including issues such as competency to disclose environmental and social information, who should do the reporting, how should the information be reported, what information should be disclosed and why, and what disclosure is appropriate to address the environmental and social risks. We will then reconvene to share the results of our discussions.

This session is free of charge but requires pre-registration by April 26, 2017 at https://goo.gl/forms/U8v4wiPJ5D8yRzYu1
Seats are limited and registration will be on a first-come, first served basis.