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Tom Butler Mark Cutifani

nology. mining companies have ESG skills.” why it matters and what employees can
Juniors don’t have the luxury of chang- The answer to this lack of ESG capa- do to help,” he said. “The industry is full
ing portfolios to fulfil ESG requirements, bility may be to look outside of mining to of engineers who love solving problems
but they will need to reposition them- find expertise. and they could tackle many ESG issues;
selves if they are to meet changing in- “Mining is very insular when it comes from using less water, to lowering a pro-
vestor demands. to leadership,” Nel said. “The industry ject’s carbon footprint. It is about making
According to Heloise Nel, Egon has cultivated a certain mindset. Leaders it clear to them why it matters.”
Zehnder’s Mining & Metals leader, com- are usually mining engineers who have For Cutifani, mining has been afforded
panies of all sizes needed a clear sense come up through the operations team. an opportunity to embrace a new, more
of purpose, driven from the top of the or- The industry needs a more global mind- positive role, thanks to the global trend
ganisation, to achieve their ESG goals. set. Companies should connect with for renewables, EVs and battery storage
“While shareholder value creation is other industries and look for leaders who which all boast high metal intensity.
a company’s raison d’être, being a re- can think outside the box.” The World Bank’s The Growing Role
sponsible steward who does this in a Blunt recognises the need for greater of Minerals and Metals for a Low-Carbon
sustainable way must be at the core of diversity but also believes there are Future report found that a low-carbon
how the company conducts business,” ESG capabilities inherent in the mining future will be significantly more mineral
Nel told Paydirt. “This needs to come industry. If companies can explain their intensive than a business-as-usual sce-
from the CEO and board. At a board level purpose to employees, they may unlock nario. The report estimated that global
you need a committee with the requisite greater potential. demand for strategic minerals such as
skills. Our recent study found that less “One of the new requirements of min- lithium, graphite and nickel will skyrocket
than 40% of board representatives in ing leadership is to explain what ESG is, by 965%, 383% and 108% respectively
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