Links between the actors and mining activities related to the implementation of sustainable development principles

Abstract

The uninterrupted supply of raw materials is essential to implement low‐carbon technologies. Therefore, the sustainable extraction of these materials is crucial. One of its important aspects is the analysis of the interaction between the actors as well as the actions undertaken by them. This study explores the characteristics of the network of links between social actors and the supporting and inhibitory actions related to sustainable development that the mining industry and its possible implications with collaboration and conflict between actors. Our methodological approach consisted in building two bipartite networks based on actor‐action interaction, identified thanks to the literature review of sustainability initiatives of mining companies. Applying network analysis, we examine the structural characteristics of the networks and the strength of links between social actors. The results highlighted that “Government,” “Local society,” and “Indigenous peoples” have a critical position in the network of “Supporting” and “Inhibitory” actions. They are those who could articulate with other social actors to create collaborative processes in the implementation of actions that contribute to sustainable development by the mining industry. However, from the analysis of the structure of the network of “Inhibitory” actions, these three actors are the ones who could be relevant in the dynamics of the development of conflicts with the mining industry. This study presents, from the dual perspective (“Supporting” and “Inhibitory” actions), the characteristics of the systems of relationships between social actors and their possible implications for the design, as well as implementation of sustainable strategies in the mining sector.