SME's deputy executive director, John Hayden, 2010 SME President Nikhil Trivedi and I attended the 6th international conference on Sustainable Development in the Minerals Industry (SDIMI) in Milos, Greece June 30th - July 3rd. More than 180 attendees from 30 countries heard over 100 professional papers on topics covering various areas of mining and sustainable development. The SDIMI conference was held under the auspices of SME, the Society for Mining Professors and the Greek Mining Association.
John Hayden, me and Nikhil Trivedi.
Nikhil moderated a session that covered the activities of the mining and sustainability task force he chairs for the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. His session included presentations from four members of the international task force from the US, China, Finland and Canada. Topics ranged from a methodology to integrate SD performance in the mine design and planning process, to examples of reuse, repurposing and the recycling of minerals to improve resource efficiency in mining; from environmentally sound engineering technologies and practices in mining, to a framework of a toolbox for risk management in the minerals sector.
L-R Nikhil Trivedi, Ilkka Kojo from Finland, Dirk Van Zyl from Canada, Deb Shields from U.S. and Zhongxue Li from China.
John also moderated a panel discussion on Alternative Perspectives in Mining and Sustainability that included my presentation on mining industry initiatives in SD. I was joined by Darrel Danyluk, Vice President of the WFEO, who discussed capacity building and sustainability in the engineering disciplines, and Dr. Michael Karmis of Virginia Tech who talked about engineering education and sustainability in curricula. We were honored to have Darrel Danyluk attend this conference to see first-hand the progress that Nikhil's WFEO task force has made since its inception in 2011.
Nikhil at the podium.
The theme of the SDIMI conference was the development, monitoring and assessment of SD criteria for mineral operations. At present, the focus of public perception is placed on the environmental and social consequences of mining. Growing environmental and social concerns, supply chain procurement standards, as well as public pressure and regulatory measures, will profoundly shape the global mineral business. In order to cope with these challenges, the minerals community must integrate SD practices and stakeholder participation into engineering design, technical considerations, business strategies, public education, academic curriculum and business performance goals.
There is a pressing need to better manage the mining resource, to increase the transfer of knowledge, and to support capacity building in private firms, government and civil society. This will require a harmonization of engineering policies, government legislation and regulation, academic education and industry best practices within the realm of SD.
SME, the Society for Mining Professors and the Greek Mining Association logos.