Context
In the extractive sector, the role of community is touted as a key to successful responsible mining initiatives. One aspect of developing the trust of mining impacted communities is through transparent reporting of diverse environmental, social, and governance (ESG) project data that is of public interest. Over the years, the Responsible Mining Index (RMI) has examined extractive companies’ reporting of corporate ESG policies and practices. Over the four iterations, the RMI assessment has repeatedly found that while transparency in reporting of corporate commitments to diverse issues is improving, companies continue to struggle in showing how those commitments are turned into meaningful actions. Without having mine-site level ESG information transparency, there exists a significant mistrust of the public to engaging with the mining companies.
Community engagement that is genuine with a desire for a truly collaborative approach can help improve inclusive local development in mining regions. Once mining has commenced, it is equally important to capture risk perceptions by the public and local residents, as it is to obtain local-level monitoring data on development impacts. One publicly available tool that provides evidence on the local-level development outcomes of resource extraction is the Resource Impact Dashboard (RID). It can inform and substantiate a constructive community-company deliberation process to improve the local governance of resource extraction and reduce conflict.
Purpose and Goals
The session aims to discuss what role can transparency in reporting together with honest community engagement play in helping to build trust and in turn, improve company accountability. How can sharing meaningful project information that is of the public interest be the means to reduce the power inequalities in company-community relationships. This session also marks the official launch of the new RMI+ 2025 report.
Topics for Discussion
- How can tools like the Responsible Mining Index and the Resource Impact Dashboard contribute to foster transparent reporting and community-company engagement at mine sites?
- What does genuine stakeholder engagement at the community level look like? What are some good examples or practices to learn from?
- What are the key challenges in establishing trust between mining companies and affected communities?
- How well are companies currently reporting to communities about the impact of their operations, and where are the biggest gaps in transparency during the project lifecycle?
- What can diverse stakeholders like NGOs, assurance companies, regulators and downstream companies play in fostering trust and mutually beneficial relations between mining companies and communities?
With growing pressure on the mining sector to operate more responsibly, the question is urgent: How can transparent communication and inclusive engagement turn potential conflict into long-term trust and cooperation?
About the Session
This partner-led session is organised by the RMI & RID projects. Drawing on regional expertise and real-world engagement at mine sites, it brings together voices from policy, industry, and affected communities to explore practical ways to strengthen trust, transparency, and responsible practices at the local level.
Panelists:
Felicitas Fischer, Chair of Development Economics, ETH NADEL
Kieren Moffat, CEO and Co-Founder, Voconiq
Boukje Theeuwes, Head of Policy Influencing, Solidaridad
Cecilia Mattea, Regional Lead, Europe, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA)
Moderated by:
Robin Smith, Project Manager, World Resources Forum
Join us at WRF25 to explore how transparent site-level reporting, collaborative dialogue, and global-local partnerships can strengthen social acceptance and improve outcomes for both communities and mining companies.