Mining and Climate Change: Towards a Strategy for the Industry

The purpose of this article is to find out whether or not climate change is an issue for the mining industry and to analyse the implications that the climate change framework may entail for the mining industry. lt was discovered that the mining industry can be not only a direct emitter of greenhouse gases but also an indirect emitter given its nature as an energy-intensive industry. These emissions will imply direct and indirect costs for mining companies given the compliance costs of the environmental obligations plus the costs associated with an increase in energy prices. Therefore, it is clear that climate change is an issue for the mining activity and one that requires a response. An adequate response involves the formulation of climate change strategies that include measures aimed at the stabi/isation, reduction and offset of greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate actions that can also make good use of the opportunities that the legal framework can offer, such as the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. Furthermore, voluntary actions have to be included in climate change strategies, with a view to articulating a comprehensive response from a corporate social responsibility and sustainable development standpoint.