The past nine months of unprecedented upheavals in the world of global mining finance has caused a revision to our notions of which companies wield the most “money power” over the industry as a whole.…
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Today’s state of corporate mine play
A public hearing on Vedanta – but is anyone listening?
Last Saturday, the British-listed mining company, Vedanta Resources, faced overwhelming local opposition for their plans to expand their refinery in Orissa, India. The sacred Niyamgiri Hills in India are the home to and source of …
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Rio Tinto in Colombia
LMN member group Colombia Solidarity Campaign has submitted a report to the inquiry of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights into business and human rights. The report concerns the alleged human rights impacts of …
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Lord Mandelson accused of weakening UK rules on ethical exports
Companies investing in controversial far-flung projects may soon be able to secure UK government guarantees without the stringent human rights and environmental safeguards in place at the moment…The move, in a new Bill, will reignite …
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Canadian moves to hold extractives companies to account
A Bill being debated in the Canadian House of Commons calls for greater corporate accountability for the activities of Canadian mining, oil and gas companies operating in developing countries. Bill C-300 deals with issues with …
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Lead poisoning may affect many generations, says new study
Recently, a damages case levelled against lead mining giant Xstrata by seven year old plaintiff, year old, Stella Hare, was knocked back by an Australian court. The court ruled that allegations that Stella’s brain and …
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Indonesia opens more protected forest areas to mining
After allowing 13 mining companies to open-pit mine in protected forests, Indonesia’s government is now planning to permit underground mining in similar areas – arguing that this will help protect the environment. Among companies that …
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Zambia – at sixes and sevens over mineral policy?
The Zambian government has announced it will take up equity in the country’s copper miners. Coming shortly after the government abolished a windfall tax – following pressure applied by privately-owned mining companies- the announcement has …
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Assessing the Major Debates in Minerals Taxation
Starting with an informative review of the theoretical literature on mining taxation and winding up with a series of observations about the design of minerals tax regimes, the report is a laudably even-handed treatment of …
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Business and human rights: protect, respect and remedy
Business and human rights: Towards operationalizing the ‘protect, respect and remedy’ framework, the report by John Ruggie, UN Special Representative on business & human rights, to the 11th session of UN Human Rights Council, …
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Global reporting Initiative’s new non-financial reporting guidelines for mining companies
The Global Reporting Initiative has taken another step towards a new set of social and environmental reporting guidelines for mining companies. The mining and metals sector supplement, whose public consultation closed on 29 April, contains …
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World Bank climate investment funds undermine climate and gender justice
While the World Bank keeps multiplying dirty investments in fossil-fuel generating projects, like coal in poor countries, the Bank has become the custodian of rich-country supported Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) created to help poor countries …
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