Title: Social License to Operate in Mining: Present Views and Future Trends
Author/Institution: Konstantinos Komnitsas
Publication Year: 2020
SLO within Sustainable Development Paradigms
Komnitsas situates SLO within the broader framework of sustainable development, arguing that environmental stewardship, community engagement, and transparent governance are interdependent pillars of extractive legitimacy. Mining operations must demonstrate long-term environmental responsibility to sustain social acceptance, particularly in biodiversity-sensitive and Indigenous territories.
Emerging Expectations and Corporate Adaptation
The study highlights how rising stakeholder expectations — amplified by digital transparency and global civil society networks — reshape mining risk landscapes. Companies increasingly face scrutiny not only for environmental performance but also for labor standards, revenue transparency, and community investment outcomes. These evolving expectations demand institutional adaptation rather than reactive compliance.
From License to Operate toward Stakeholder Prosperity
Komnitsas anticipates a structural transition in extractive governance, where maintaining SLO evolves into creating shared prosperity. The concept expands beyond avoiding opposition toward actively generating local economic integration and long-term community partnerships. In contemporary contexts marked by illegal mining expansion and protest mobilization, this evolution underscores that mining stability hinges on aligning operational strategy with inclusive development frameworks.
Academic Insights, Issue 36
Social License in the Context of Sustainable Resource DevelopmentAuto Draft
