Delegates from 80 countries at the 15th Annual General Meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development have just launched a series of discussions in Geneva related to mining in the context of climate change.
The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘Mining in a Changing Climate’
“This year’s meeting will focus on how the mining sector can not only adapt to climate change but also play a role in lessening its impacts,” said Greg Radford, Director of the IGF Secretariat, in a media statement. “The AGM will discuss how governments can ensure enabling policy conditions are in place within their jurisdictions that allow and encourage mining and mineral exploration companies to invest in adaptation and mitigation activities.”
In the Forum’s view, well planned and implemented actions from the mining sector, and the private sector in general, will help countries achieve international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Nationally Determined Contributions agreed upon under the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
With this in mind, government, academia, industry and civil society representatives gathered in Switzerland are engaging in solution-oriented conversations related to sustainable supply chains, environmental and social impact assessments, renewable energy, government strategies for low-carbon minerals and supporting transitions in coal regions.