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Can extractive industries promote sustainable development?
A net benefits framework and a case study of the Marlin mine in Guatemala
Lyuba Zarsky Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Policy and
Management, Monterey Institute of International Studies [email protected]
Presentation to Center for Social Responsibility in Mining
University of Queensland July 18, 2012
Weak sustainability principle
• Different forms of capital (natural, human, social) are substitutable
• Mining can contribute to sustainable development if it generates long-term benefits (environmental, social, economic) that equal or exceed pre-exploitation values
Challenges of assessing net benefits
1. Time frame: operating phase is finite, post-closure phase is infinite (economic benefits in short-term, environmental costs in long term)
2. Skewed distribution: costs are borne locally; benefits…?
3. Poverty of CBA methodology:
• when people are poor, loss of their health, assets, income generates small numbers;
• no way to value cultural losses;
• eco-system services generally excluded
4. Lack of baseline data
Net benefits framework
1. Evidence of local community acceptance (FPIC)
2. Assessment of royalties and taxes (total and as share of mine revenues and earnings)
3. Assessment of total economic benefits (wages, procurement, indirect jobs, induced spending, social investment)
4. Investment in sustainable productive capacities
5. Environmental risk (operations and post-closure)
Source: Goldcorp
Goldcorp’s shareholder bonanza
• Adjusted net earnings (millions)
2009 $588
2010 $1,048
2011 $1786
• Dividends (millions)
2009 $137.1
2010 $154.1
2011 $330.0
Total mine revenues $903.5 million
Total mine earnings $346.1 million
Potential economic benefits of mining
• Wages
Direct jobs at the mine
• Procurement
Local purchases of goods and services
Indirect jobs
• Induced spending
Multiplier effects of wage spending
• Social investment by company
Procurement – some caveats
Is the value too high?
• Some goods and services are not domestically produced but are purchased from Guatemala-based importers. How much?
• Assuming 50% is imported, revenues to Guatemala fall to 27% of total Marlin revenues
• What is purchased, and at what price?
• Goldcorp is the only data source and provides only aggregate data
Social investment
In 2010, Goldcorp described projects spanning education, health, productivity, community relations, and infrastructure
Total 2006-2010 = $3.8 million
• Total Marlin earnings 2006-2010 = $862.9 m
• Total social investment 2006-2010 = < 0 .5% of total earnings
Investment in productive capacities?
Environmental risks of gold mining
• Loss of topsoil and forests from initial clearing
• Leaching of ore uses large amounts of water
• Cyanide leachate may pollute ground and surface water if tailings pond walls are weakened or breached
• Acid mine drainage if sulfide-rich crushed rock (tailings and waste rock) are exposed to rainfall
Naturally occurring hazardous chemical elements in Marlin mine ore
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Chromium
• Lead
• Manganese
• Mercury
• Nickel
• Selenium
• Thallium
• Zinc
Climate risks in mining
• Threats to security of water supply
• Damage to mines and associated transport infrastructure from flooding, cyclones, fires
• Overtopping of tailings dams
• Changes in surface water and groundwater interactions, with implications for acid mine drainage
Mine closure plan?
• Goldcorp has posted a voluntary surety bond of $1m
• New COPAE report estimates cost of mine closure at $49 million
• No Guatemalan legal requirements
Report Conclusions
Environmental risks significantly outweigh economic benefits over long term
O
Benefits are small and/or short term Environmental risk is high due to: • Lack of adequate government oversight • Potential for long-term heavy metals contamination of water
due to acid mine drainage • Lack of mine closure and reclamation plan • Increased intensity and frequency of flooding due to climate
change • Dependence of local communities on agricultural livelihood
Capture of net benefits requires good governance in multiple dimensions:
• Environmental regulation
• Negotiation capacities
• Development planning
• Fiscal transparency and accountability
• Protection of human rights
Governance capacity index ?