AT4-9: Geoscientific practices for responsible mining.

Convener: Constanza Araya,  Centro de Estudios del Cobre y la Minería (CESCO). coniaraya16@ug.uchile.cl

Description: Demand for earth resources has risen dramatically and will continue increasing driven by climate change mitigation and development of renewable energies. In order to transition towards decarbonisation and a clean energy matrix, we need to extract more earth resources than ever before. There is, therefore, an urgent need for a wider discussion on how we will sustainably supply these resources to present and future generations through a better mining industry.  A mining industry that is responsible with: the resources extracted, that generates relationships of trust with communities, that takes care of its waste and externalities, that dares to move towards a circular economy, that makes sure it is part of a just transition, that meets the needs of the territories in which it is inserted, that invests in innovation, that is an active participant in the society, that is responsible with biodiversity, and that has collaborative relationships with the different stakeholders involved.

In the proposed session, we invite to discuss these topics from the perspective of geosciences, as well as social sciences, engineering, and mining companies, which all play a fundamental role in addressing these challenges responsibly with the environment and society.