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ADU ReVIeW

To green or

not to green

epublic of Ghana Minister for Land and
RResources Samuel Jinapor has claimed
African explorers and governments are being
unrealistically held to ESG policies that are Africa Down Under’s ESG panel discussion was chaired by DLA Piper sustainability and
developed with a Western view of the world. resilience managing director Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry and heard comments from Hubert
“I don’t suggest the standards we are Danso, Samuel Jinapor, Jordan Morrissey, Terence Dambe and Mark Atta-Danso
asked to live up to are not tenable, all of
those are all welcome, but they must be in world view but argued the West-centric to be converted into legal and regulatory
the context in the recognition of historical policies such as the Paris Agreement cre- basis.”
injustices and imbalances,” Jinapor said dur- ate a disproportionate expectation of African Resolute Mining Ltd executive general
ing a panel discussion on ESG policies at countries. manager sustainability Jordan Morrissey ar-
Africa Down Under. “Africa contributes 2% of carbon emis- gued a “balanced and considered approach”
“We have a whole regime and a very ro- sions, China contributes 23%, America has for African mining operations, or else the in-
bust and high standard ESG adherence to [large emissions] and Europe [has large dustry could face a delay in the green en-
principles which we believe is helping. Gha- emissions],” he said. “To achieve the devel- ergy transition.
na is one of the first countries in the world to opment that we yearn for which many parts “Whether an operator is in the critical min-
apply the Extractive Industries Transparency of the world have already achieved and in erals game or not, all mining operations go-
Initiative principles to the mining industry.” doing so, particularly the green transition… ing forward need to be responsible and sus-
Jinapor’s comments come at a time the all of those will contribute to the fight against tainable,” he said. “All that said, we need to
world scrambles to get its hands on a supply climate change but we must do so intelligent- take a balanced and considered approach to
of critical minerals – including lithium, nickel, ly and constructively.” this transition. We need to explore renewa-
copper, cobalt, graphite and rare earths – to Westgold Resources Ltd processing su- bles and we need to adopt renewable ener-
support a green energy future that will use perintendent Mark Atta-Danso, who shared gy wherever we can. But if we can’t, then we
renewables, batteries, solar panels, wind the stage with Jinapor, said ESG policies need to be looking at things like setting emis-
turbines and more. can create powerful change but if expecta- sions reductions targets at an asset level.
These critical minerals can be found in tions are not appropriately measured, then “I think if we don’t take a balanced and
high-grade deposits across Africa that are goals cannot be achieved. He argued that considered approach, then we run the risk
yet to be properly exploited, welcoming in- Africa’s ability to meet such expectations of adversely impacting the energy transition
vestments from Australian explorers and must first be defined on its own basis. timeframes.”
miners such as Leo Lithium Ltd, Ionic Rare “Whatever ESG initiatives that we are Meanwhile, Africa Investor Group chief
Earths Ltd, Walkabout Resources Ltd, Evo- taking or making, it needs to be realistic on executive Hubert Danso said financial col-
lution Energy Minerals Ltd and many more. what we can do,” he said. “We don’t just want laboration was at the heart of inducing pro-
Such companies, and others, are operat- make lip services to our commitment with no gress to reach production on Africa’s critical
ing at a time the resources industry is under deliverables. When there are no delivera- minerals.
perhaps its greatest scrutiny to adhere to en- bles, it becomes a buzzword. “There definitely is a willing, I think the cap-
vironmentally sustainable policies such as “What is the appetite that [Africa] can take ital is there, but I think we really need to work
the reduction of carbon emissions. in terms of ESG compliances? Once that more collaboratively with key policy makers,”
Jinapor said Ghana was embracing the appetite has be defined and set, we put in he said. “We’re not mining [critical minerals]
the necessary measures and re- quickly enough. We’re going to have to really
sponsibilities to ensure that it is accelerate that process.
achieved.” “We only have 20% of the required cop-
Minchin & Kelly managing per for the next 20 years of transition. We
partner Terence Dambe said the have 3.48% of the required cobalt, 3.57%
wheels of ESG policies have be- of the required graphite, 10% of the required
gun to turn in Africa, but there re- lithium and 3.52% of the required vanadium.
mained a lack of material frame- “We’re going to have to start developing
works in many cases. new perspectives on how we mobilise capi-
“ESG, if you roll back four or tal at scale.
five years ago, it wasn’t even a “We haven’t been as private capital friend-
topic of discussion. Now it’s front ly, or absorptive, as we could be, but I think
of centre,” Dambe said. “In Bot- for this climate challenge, the investment
swana, if you look at the legal community is starting to really come to the
and regulatory framework, it is party.”
still at policy stage…[Botswana] – Fraser Palamara
Danso said the investment community was beginning to only just adopted a finalised min-
come to the green energy “party” erals policy in April. That needs

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