• Identification of scientific problems that are central to the sustainable development of mineral resources.
• Identification of specific geoscience applications (i.e., what science is needed to address these problems?).
• Identification of possible case studies (i.e., where will the science be conducted?).
• Identification of resource requirements for the research (i.e., what funding is needed to do the science?).
• Identification of stake-holders and their level of involvement and commitment to developing and implementing a research strategy (i.e., who defines the strategy, who carries it out, who pays?).

The purpose of these deliberations was to identify the role(s) that geoscientists can play within a broadly-based program in sustainable development research, and to develop the elements of a program proposal. The results of these discussions were reported back to a plenary session, followed by a wrap-up presentation by Jeremy Richards.

PRINCIPAL OUTCOMES OF THE WORKSHOP

Breakout Group 1: Geoscience Applications and Science Integration

In addition to the topics covered in the volunteered presentations, delegates were asked to list research relevant to sustainable development in which they were currently involved, as well as research they would like to be involved in given the opportunity. From the long list of current and planned research, ranging in topic from mineral exploration to mine waste management, and in geographic focus from Nunavut to Ghana via Ecuador, it was clear that there was no shortage of research opportunities in this field. Clearly, much of the research is of an interdisciplinary nature, but nevertheless it has a firm grounding in geoscience. In fact, it was concluded that geoscience provides the foundation for sustainable development knowledge in the minerals sector, and it is therefore logical that geoscientists should be leading this initiative.

Far from being an unsustainable industry, mining has frequently been the underpinning of economic development, both locally and nationally, and can sustain communities for centuries. Research should therefore be directed towards ensuring that the economic benefits of mining are shared fairly with affected communities, and are not offset by long-term negative impacts to the environment. While good governance is essential in ensuring these outcomes, geoscientists can contribute from the outset through resource identification and characterization, the development of geoenvironmental models, and the replenishment of reserves through development of new exploration techniques and geological knowledge. Geoscience knowledge was therefore seen to be a key deliverable for any such program in sustainable mineral resources development.

Much thought was given to specific foci for sustainable development research in Canada. Clearly, a huge challenge is presented by Canada’s northern regions, where resource development is seen as a key contributor to future economic independence and stability, but preservation of social and environmental values must also be paramount to any development decision. The establishment of a template for sustainable development in these areas, through close collaboration with various stakeholder groups, would be of immense value to Canada. Moreover, it would serve as a model for sustainable development in other countries, while providing training opportunities for a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists.

Northern Canada is not the only region facing challenges, however, and similar issues affect the provinces where new mining opportunities exist, and where mature mining communities are facing declining reserves and ultimately closure. As demonstrated by the Sullivan mine, which supported the Kimberley region in British Columbia for a century, with careful planning, mining can leave a strong positive legacy in the form of sustainable communities and rehabilitated mine sites. Projects in frontier regions of the provinces and in mature mining camps would also therefore be important components of the research initiative.

Breakout Group 2: Focus and Leadership

The second breakout group was asked to consider the focus and leadership of the research program from the perspective of various stakeholder groups including government, industry, and affected communities (including First Nations groups). It was stressed that the research should focus on the public good, and that past practices wherein the benefits from mining accrued to only a few select people, often outside the local communities, should be eschewed.

The geographic and intellectual scale of the problem to be addressed by the program is such that multi-year funding (renewable over 15 to 20 years) was thought to be essential. Within that framework, a range of projects with specific regional or commodity foci would be funded on a rolling basis. The highly successful LITHOPROBE program was held up as an example of how such multi-disciplinary, multi-year projects can be managed.

Leadership of the initiative to date has been from an informal group of individuals from industry, government, and academia, but immediately prior to the workshop it was announced that the Canadian Geoscience Council (CGC) had recognized this group as a new Standing Committee on Sustainable Mineral Resources Development. Through the various affiliations of the committee members, as well as from direct support for the NUNA 2001 and SUM21 conferences, numerous academic, government, and industry organizations are now linked with this initiative, including GAC, CIM, SEG, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), PDAC, CAMIRO, Barrick Gold Corp., Inco Ltd., Falconbridge Ltd., and Noranda Ltd. A key early task of the Standing Committee will be to consolidate this support, as well as seek engagement with other organizations including NGOs and First Nations groups.

The Way Forward

With the establishment of the CGC Standing Committee, the organizers of the NUNA 2001 and SUM21 conferences now have an official affiliation and mandate. That mandate is to “facilitate and promote sustainable mining for the benefit of Canadians by finding ways to incorporate geoscience in a wide range of relevant research and development.” The first business of the group has been to organize membership of the committee, and also to create an advisory group which will bring a broader representation of interests to help guide the committee’s actions. Representatives from various industry, academic, government, NGO, and First Nations groups will be invited to serve on this advisory group. Current membership of the Standing Committee is: Jeremy Richards (University of Alberta; Chair); Alan Galley (GSC, Ottawa), Mark Hannington (GSC, Ottawa), ‘Lyn Anglin (GSC, Vancouver), Jim Franklin (consultant), Tom Lane (CAMIRO), Ric Syme (Manitoba Geological Survey and Chair of the Committee of Provincial Geologists), Bill Mercer (Noranda Inc., and PDAC), David Scott (Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office), and Jeremy Hall (Memorial University).

The primary goal of the Standing Committee is to develop a proposal for research funding. Because this is a unique proposal which does not conveniently fit existing funding programs, we expect to develop the proposal through direct discussions with primary funding agencies and supporting organizations, including Federal and Provincial Government agencies, and the mining industry (through discussions with the Mining Association of Canada, PDAC, and CAMIRO). Additionally, approaches will be made for support from the NGO sector, including the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

To this end, further workshops will be convened to develop the science that will be incorporated into the proposal. Participants from across the spectrum of stakeholders will be invited to attend, with a view to drawing up a proposal based on solid science and with a sound economic and social basis. A tentative date for the first workshop will be November 2002, in association with the Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, followed by a second meeting in May 2003, in conjunction with the GAC-MAC-SEG joint meeting in Vancouver (May 25–28, 2003). The latter workshop will link with a symposium being organized for that meeting entitled “Sustainable Development in the Mineral Resources Sector: An oxymoron or golden opportunity?”

Publication of Abstracts and Papers from the SUM21 Workshop

Abstracts from the SUM21 Workshop have been published in Exploration & Mining Geology, Volume 10, Nos. 1 & 2. In addition, a special issue of this journal is being planned to contain full papers arising from the workshop.

Acknowledgements

The SUM21 Organizing Committee consisted of Jeremy Richards (Chair), Alan Galley, Mark Hannington, ‘Lyn Anglin, Jim Franklin, John Thomson, Dick Tosdal, Jeremy Hall, Anthony Williams-Jones, and Michel Gauthier. Financial support for the workshop was received from the Mineral Deposits Division of the Geological Association of Canada, the Geological Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Society of Economic Geologists, and the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, and is gratefully acknowledged. Production costs for the Program and Abstracts volume were kindly borne by the Mineral Deposit Research Unit, University of British Columbia.

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