05.08.2025 How transparent are mining companies about their sustainability-related activities?

The Sector Programme Extractives and Development at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) co-funded the 2025 edition of the Responsible Mining Index (RMI+) (External link), edited by the World Resources Forum.

The report assesses 25 of the world's largest mining companies, analysing the extent to which they publicly disclose their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies, practices and performance. On the one hand, the report observes an increase in the reporting of ESG commitments in the mining secotr. On the other hand, the disclosure of how these commitments are translated into action is greatly lagging. This leads to what the authors call a commitment-effectiveness gap in ESG transparency. With its analyses, the report contributes to the continuous advancement of sustainability reporting in the mining sector by showcasing accomplishments as well as identifying potentials for improvement. One area of concern remains to be biodiversity. The persistently weak reporting of biodiversity issues has even deteriorated in comparison to former years.

For the first time, a complementary RMI+ Report on 'Stakeholder Engagement Dialogue -- Mine Sites in Zimbabwe and Peru (External link)' presents findings from stakeholder engagement activiites carried out at two mine sites, in Peru and Zimbabwe. It points out a discrepancy between corporate-level ESG commitments and how these are experienced by local stakeholders on the ground. Moreover, the measures taken to engage with stakeholders and their outcome are rarely published, limiting opportunities for independent assessment and peer learning.

The WRF will present the reports in a side session at its next conference, the WRF2025 (External link).