Social License for Closure—A Participatory Approach to the Management of the Mine Closure Process

Abstract

The European Union’s climate policy and the assumptions of the European Green Deal require Poland to take decisive transition efforts. The achievement of climate neutrality is a challenge due to the special role of coal in the Polish economy. Closing mines and abandoning coal is the greatest challenge for local communities in mining regions. This article presents the example of Wałbrzych, a Polish post-mining town, which has been experiencing the accumulation of negative consequences of inadequately planned liquidation since the 1990s. The current activities of mining companies in the face of abandoning coal were also analyzed. The gaps identified in the literature indicate the need to define a new method of managing the liquidation processes, based on the consideration of key risks resulting from decommissioning, to minimize the social costs in the first place. In this regard, it is helpful to diagnose the social concerns of the stakeholders. The social aspects of mine closures remain a challenge and finding effective ways to deal with them has become crucial for the industry. This prompted us to propose an approach based on community involvement in the decommissioning processes and the introduction of the social license for closure (SLC). By engaging the community, the SLC gives it a voice, allowing it to accommodate the individual needs of mining regions and ensure a successful and just transition. This article recognizes the key stakeholders and their fears related to the liquidation of mining. The organizational framework for stakeholder approval of the SLC is presented. The analysis was based on the example of Poland, a country facing the challenge of closing hard coal mines. Conclusions formulated on the basis of the case study complement the existing research in the field of social licensing and involving stakeholders in the mine closure planning process in accordance with the idea of corporate social responsibility.

Promoting Corporate Extraterritorial Sustainable Responsibility through the Lens of Social Licence to Operate

“…In addition to these complications, however, the most challenging issue is that extraterritorial attempts always lack a solid foundation that is widely acceptable to a variety of schools of thought [12,13]. A good notional base for persuasive and plausible arguments for corporate extraterritorial responsibility is vital in order to promote more accountable companies and boards, but also to mitigate corporate risks [14][15][16][17]. This article aims to fill this gap by investigating the notion of the SLO, not only to make extraterritorial responsibility rational and legitimate but also to broaden the understanding of the SLO notion beyond its current context of the mining industry and other CSR-sensitive sectors [18][19][20].…”

Pumped Storage Hydropower in Abandoned Mine Shafts: Key Concerns and Research Directions

“…Meanwhile, there will be about 15,000 sites suitable for building mineshaft-based PSH plants, with an installed capacity of approximately 1800 GW. These statistics suggest a huge market potential [30][31][32]. The PSH plant reallocates the electric generation capacity of the power system temporally and reconciles the contradictions between power generation and power consumption.…”

“…Meanwhile, there will be about 15,000 sites suitable for building mineshaftbased PSH plants, with an installed capacity of approximately 1800 GW. These statistics suggest a huge market potential [30][31][32]. The National Energy Administration has explicitly pointed out in the Pumped Storage Medium and Long-Term Development Plan 2021-2035 that ʺPSH plants fulfill multiple functions, including peak regulation, valley filling, frequency regulation, phase regulation, energy storage, backup for accidents, and black start.…”

“…Meanwhile, there will be about 15,000 sites suitable for building mineshaft-based PSH plants, with an installed capacity of approximately 1800 GW. These statistics suggest a huge market potential [30][31][32].…”

A New Assessment Method for the Redevelopment of Closed Coal Mine—A Case Study in Shanxi Province in China

“…So many valuable conclusions have been drawn from previous references [42][43][44][45]. However, there is little research on how to choose utilization methods for the closed mines.…”