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Miner's World Heritage Concession: Change of Heart of Chance of Tactics?
22 August 2003
Mining industry World Heritage Concession: Change of heart or change of tactics?
15 of the world’s largest mining companies have released a statement acknowledging existing sites that carry United Nations World Heritage status as no go areas for mining- but at the same time they are working to erode protected status for a vast number of other areas which are recognised as biodiversity hotspots across the globe.
The same companies who have released the statement are currently pressuring governments in countries such as Indonesia and Ghana to gain access to protected areas in which mining has been banned. Mining watchdog, The Mineral Policy Institute has come out in harsh criticism of the statement recently released by the ICMM as a piece of corporate PR that actively undermines current protections of the world’s biodiversity.
Techa Beaumont from the Mineral Policy Institute stated, “This statement is a duplicitous attempt to renegotiate access to designated protected areas worldwide. What we are viewing is not a ‘landmark pledge’ to conservation on the part of miners- but an outlandish ploy by consistently dodgy operators to reduce standards of protection for conservation areas globally.”
“This statement indicates more a change in tactics than a change of heart - as the mining industry keeps its sights firmly set on the goal of gaining access to some of the most fragile, pristine and precious environments in the world.”
The current situation in Indonesia is a case in point: ICMM member, BHP Billiton conducted exploration, test mining and test ore processing for a nickel mine in protected forests on Gag Island in the Raja Ampats area. The area, proposed for World Heritage listing because of world-class marine biodiversity, is home to an extraordinary 64% of all known coral species in the world, but BHP maintains its intention to mine the island, plans which include the dumping of millions of tons of mine waste into the precious ocean environment. BHP formed part of an industry coalition that has lobbied the Indonesia government extensively to have the forestry laws banning mining in this and other protected areas in Indonesia overturned.
The ICMM statement pushes for exploration of mineral potential in new proposals for protected areas, including proposed World Heritage areas. It reveals that as far as the mining industry is concerned, numerous other designated protected areas- presumably including National Parks and proposed new World Heritage Areas, should remain open to mining proposals. This includes areas where mining is currently banned.
For media inquiries: Techa (in Australia) +61 409318406 or Igor (in Indonesia) +62 81 286 12 286
For more information, please contact:
Igor O'Neill
Workphone: +62 21 794 1672
Mobile: +62 81 286 12 286
Created: 22 Aug 2003 | Last updated: 22 Aug 2003
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