Addressing Sustainability in the Mining Industry Through Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

Sustainability challenges are often complex and cannot be tackled by an organization alone. In the mining industry, the potential to threaten environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability is considerable. The data in this qualitative case study about a mining region in Germany consist of 88 newspaper articles, three company reports and one interview. This study argues that constructive stakeholder engagement in the forms of dialogue and collaboration may enhance the sustainability of mining operations. Opportunities to enhance sustainability can be found with both primary and secondary stakeholders. However, stakeholder engagement with stakeholders who oppose the mining operations can be challenging.