Author: Konstantinos Komnitsas | Published: 2020
Scope: Global
This comprehensive academic review examines the evolution of the social license to operate (SLO) in the global mining industry, tracing how its meaning and application have expanded over time. Komnitsas surveys academic literature, industry reports, and field cases to identify key factors driving community acceptance or rejection of mining operations. The paper highlights that SLO has moved beyond a public relations concept to become a core operational risk, influencing financing, regulatory approval, and even geopolitical positioning of mining firms worldwide.
The study outlines several emerging trends: the increasing importance of environmental justice, the rise of Indigenous land rights as a legal force, and the influence of digital activism in shaping public opinion. It also notes that projects involving critical minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths—now face heightened scrutiny due to their connection with global climate and energy transition agendas. As companies rush to meet this demand, the pressure to demonstrate transparency, inclusiveness, and long- term local benefit is growing across jurisdictions.
This global perspective aligns closely with multiple news developments from July 2025, such as Greenland’s plea for responsible Western investment, Alberta’s coal policy reversal, and the intensifying debate over deep-sea mining. Each of these cases demonstrates that SLO is no longer optional or informal—it is a prerequisite for success. Komnitsas’s work helps explain why community legitimacy, stakeholder trust, and cross-border ethical alignment are now as important as technical feasibility or market price in determining whether mining projects proceed—or stall indefinitely.