Extractive and Land Resources

GOOD GOVERNANCE OF EXTRACTIVE & LAND RESOURCES

GOOD GOVERNANCE OF EXTRACTIVE & LAND RESOURCES

GOOD GOVERNANCE OF EXTRACTIVE & LAND RESOURCES

Extractive industries are critical drivers of many economies, but often place a great burden on environmental systems, or affect societies in areas of extraction. This network looks at how to better use resource endowments, including land, for sustainable development. Much of the work of this group touches upon accountability and building strong institutions, as per the objectives of SDG 16.


This thematic network is hosted by the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment.

The mining and metals sector is uniquely placed to support the realisation of the SDGs. Large-scale mining is a global industry operating in all corners of the world, and often in remote and under-developed areas where it is capable of mobilising financial, technological and physical resources on a vast scale.

Lisa Sachs, Co-Chair of the SDSN Good Governance of Extractive and Land Resources

OUR VISION

Harnessing natural resource wealth is the great transformative opportunity for many developing nations. Resource extraction generates the largest source of exports, inward investment and potential for government revenues for over sixty low-income countries. However, mismanagement can carry a high cost, with the potential to fuel corruption; economic, environmental, and social damage; and even conflict.


As stewards of their extractive and land resources, governments have the responsibility to manage and regulate the extraction process, and to transform natural assets into sustained prosperity for both current and future generations. This includes the good governance of land and security of tenure especially for the rural poor. In addition, companies must take steps that go beyond minimum legal requirements by ensuring that they do not infringe on the rights of individuals and should strive to comply with high environmental, social, and human rights standards. In part, this means avoiding corruption, contributing to sustainable development outcomes, and making pertinent project information public and accessible.


Some of the questions that the Thematic Network seeks to answer include:

 

  • What rules should govern the extraction of minerals and fossil fuels in order to ensure social fairness, economic efficiency, and environmental sustainability?
  • How can these rules be promoted and enforced by industry standards, national regulation, market-based incentives, and global rules
  • How can vulnerable poor countries and global companies strike win-win agreements on the sustainable use of natural resources?

 

  • Members

    Network Co-Chairs: 

    • Antonio Pedro, UN Economic Commission for Africa, Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Rwanda
    • Lisa Sachs, Columbia Institute for Sustainable Investment, USA
    • Karol Boudreaux, The Cloudburst Group, USA

    Participating Organizations:

    • Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP)
    • African Legal Support Facility (ALSF)
    • AidData
    • Anglo American
    • Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE)
    • Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC)
    • Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
    • Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI)
    • Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
    • Centre for Environment and Development (CDE)
    • Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
    • Centre for Energy, Petroleum & Mineral Law & Policy (CEPMLP), University of Dundee
    • Le Centre pour le Développement et l’Environnement (CED)
    • Chatham House
    • The Cloudburst Group
    • Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI)
    • Devonshire Initiative
    • Drexhage Consulting
    • Engineers Without Borders (EWB), Canada
    • Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
    • Extractives Baraza, Strathmore University
    • Flagship Pioneering
    • The Ford Foundation
    • Forest Peoples Programme (FPP)
    • Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)
    • GIZ
    • Global Affairs Canada, Government of Canada
    • Global Land Programme (GLP)
    • Hogan Lovells
    • Huairou Commission
    • Hudbay Minerals Inc.
    • Indigenous Peoples Major Group for the SDGs
    • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
    • Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
    • Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF)
    • International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)
    • International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
    • International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
    • International Land Coalition (ILC)
    • Kenya Land Alliance
    • Land Portal Foundation
    • Landesa
    • Lydian International
    • Mineral Law in Africa, University of Cape Town
    • Minerals to Metals Initiative, University of Cape Town
    • Mokoro
    • Namati
    • Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
    • Natural Resources Institute (NRI)
    • Omidyar Network
    • The ONE Campaign
    • Open Society Foundations (OSF)
    • OpenOil
    • Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
    • Oxfam
    • Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
    • Publish What You Pay (PWYP), United States
    • Resource Equity
    • Responsible Mining Index
    • Secretariat of the Committee on World Food Security
    • South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)
    • Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland
    • Synergos Consulting Services
    • The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
    • Transparency & Accountability Initiative
    • Transparency International, Australia
    • UN Development Programme (UNDP)
    • UN Environment (UNEP)
    • UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
    • UN Global Compact
    • UN Habitat
    • UN Habitat, Global Land Tool Network (GLTN)
    • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Sub-regional Office for Central Africa in Cameroon
    • Universidad Externado de Colombia
    • University of British Columbia
    • University of California, Los Angeles
    • Vale
    • World Bank Group
    • World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
    • World Economic Forum (WEF)
    • World Resources Institute (WRI)
    • Yamana Gold

    Note: Several experts are participating in the Thematic Network in their personal capacities; their organizations are not listed above.

  • Contact

    For more information on this group, please contact Lauren Barredo.

RECENT WORK

By SDSN 20 Jul, 2023
Mining operations and regions face many governance challenges. One is the tension between the short-term objectives of communities, governments, and stakeholders, and the longer-term objectives of mining sites (discovery through production), the SDGs, and the Paris Agreement. On July 12, 2023, the SDSN organized an online discussion about solutions and opportunities around governance, and how addressing risks early can maintain competitiveness.
By SDSN 24 Mar, 2023
On Thursday, March 23, SDSN and Geopark Quadrilátero Ferrífero (an SDSN Member) organized the webinar Climate Change Impacts on Mining Operations and Mining Territories. With presentations from Dr. Paulo Artaxo, Martin Dietrich Brauch, and Dr. Renato Ciminelli, the event explored climate projections, solutions to adapt to future scenarios, and how addressing risks early can maintain competitiveness.
Cover of SDSN Networks in Action 2022
By SDSN 27 Sep, 2022
The Networks in Action Report presents innovative solutions and partnerships being led by the SDSN’s national, regional, and thematic networks to accelerate progress on sustainable development. To celebrate 10 years of SDSN, this year’s edition reflects on the growing global role of the SDSN and its achievements over the past decade.
By Lauren Barredo 25 Jul, 2022
Summary of the webinar, which looked at regulations and strategic guidelines that can be implemented to improve territorial governance frameworks and the mining chain.
Show More

TEAM

Co-Chair
UN Economic Commission for Africa, Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa
Karol Boudreaux
Co-Chair
Landesa, USA
Lisa Sachs
Co-Chair
Columbia Institute for Sustainable Investment, USA

RESOURCES

List of Services

RESEARCH & POLICY WORK

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