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Why
was MMSD needed?
What
were the goals of MMSD?
What
did MMSD do?
What
were MMSD's concrete outputs?
How
to contact us
Frequently Asked Questions
Project Governance
Project Elements
Timeline
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The Mining, Minerals and
Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project
Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) was an independent
two-year process of consultation and research with the objective of
understanding how to maximise the contribution of the mining and minerals
sector to sustainable development at the global, national, regional
and local levels. Through this process, MMSD has proposed a clear
agenda for global change in the minerals sector, that is based on careful
analysis, that is understood and supported by many key stakeholders,
and that identifies mechanisms for moving forward.
The Project began in April 2000 and was designed both to produce concrete
results – a Final Report and
a series of Working Papers – and to
create a dialogue process capable of being carried forward into the
future.
MMSD was managed by the International
Institute for Environment and Development in London, UK, under contract
to the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The project was initiated
by WBCSD and supported by the Global
Mining Initiative (GMI).
Why
was MMSD needed?
The mining and minerals sector is subject to a number of powerful trends
that will shape the business environment in which the industry operates
in the new century. Perhaps none of these is more challenging than the
call for a global transition to sustainable development, a vision based
on achieving a better quality of life for the world population today,
while preserving and increasing the ability of future generations to
achieve a higher quality of life for themselves.
A number of initiatives addressing elements of the mining, minerals
and sustainable development agenda existed prior to MMSD, but critical
bottlenecks such as lack of trust among companies, governments and civil
society, and the absence of the necessary skills, resources and institutional
capacity to deliver were slowing progress.
MMSD attempted to encourage a greater coherence in these activities,
and increase their collective impact. To achieve this it aimed to draw
together a wide range of actors to develop a comprehensive and intelligible
agenda around which global stakeholders could come together to create
change.
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What
were the goals of MMSD?
The general objectives of MMSD, as explained in the Scoping Report prepared
by IIED for the WBCSD in 1999, were as follows:
- First, to assess global mining and minerals use in terms of the transition
to sustainable development. This would cover the current contribution
— both positive and negative — to economic prosperity, human
well-being, ecosystem health and accountable decision-making, as well
as the track record of past practice.
- Second, to identify how the services provided by the minerals system
can be delivered in accordance with sustainable development in the future
- Third, to propose key elements of an action plan for improving the
minerals system
- Fourth — and crucial for long-term impact — to build platforms
of analysis and engagement for ongoing cooperation and networking among
all stakeholders
In a project limited in time and resources, these objectives had to be
implemented realistically. MMSD did not exist to solve or even to address
all of the issues that will ever be faced by the mining and minerals industries.
At best, it provided a starting point for identifying different concerns,
and getting processes underway, which in the long-run would hopefully
move us closer to solutions.
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What
did MMSD do?
MMSD sought to combine an equitable and transparent process of stakeholder
engagement with high standards of analytical rigour, and to produce outcomes
that were acceptable to a wide range of stakeholders at the global and
local level.
A diverse range of project activities incorporated four distinct elements:
- Research and Analysis.
A focused and objective programme of inquiry designed to advance understanding
of priority issues.
- Stakeholder Engagement.
A process of non-discriminatory participation and engagement with stakeholders
affected by all aspects of the mining and minerals cycle.
- Information and Communication.
An ongoing programme of exchange and interaction of ideas with all interested
parties regarding goals, processes and key outputs.
- Planning for Outcomes.
A systematic and consensus-based commitment to defining project outcomes
and strategy for implementation.
These activities were spearheaded by the Work
Group in London, or were directly contracted out by them to existing
institutions with relevant expertise and networks. A large focus of the
Project's work, however, was decentralised and managed by the Project's
Regional Partners, based
in some of the principal mineral producing and consuming regions of the
world.
What were MMSD's concrete outputs?
The core of MMSD's work was directed to the preparation of the Project
Report, which was released in Draft form on 4 March 2002, in Final form
in May 2002, following a process of consultation and receving comments.
The Report attempts to present a broad panorama of the issues which confront
the mining and minerals sector in the transition to a society consistent
with the model of sustainable development. Click here for the Final
Report.
MMSD has also produced a wide range of useful Working
Papers providing more detail on important areas of knowledge in the
sector.
MMSD Regional Partners also produced outputs
of their own.
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Scoping
Report (PDF 100Kb)
More information on
MMSD Activities
A paper describing What
is MMSD Producing?
is available here
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