Australia Case Study: ‘Social License’ Discourse in Mining Reports

A recent study analyzing 18 sustainability reports from top Australian mining firms—like BHP, Rio Tinto, and Newmont—revealed that while the term “social licence” appears frequently, it is rarely defined or operationalized. Companies often pair the term with sustainable development rhetoric, yet omit concrete details on FPIC, grievance mechanisms, or benefit-sharing frameworks. Interviews with senior sustainability executives exposed a trend of treating SLO as a symbolic tool rather than a substantive governance commitment. Reports emphasized environmental metrics and job creation, but neglected deeper social concerns such as cultural integrity and long-term community cohesion. This imbalance, the study argues, risks fostering surface-level legitimacy while eroding genuine stakeholder trust.