Sector Programme
    Extractives and Development

    BGR & GIZ at the Investing in African Mining INDABA 2019 Shaping African Mining more Climate-Sensitive and Sustainable

    Sustainability was central this year. This year`s program was targeted at ‘Championing Africa`s Sustainable Development’. Therefore, the INDABA dedicated itself a whole Sustainability Day, which opened up the platform for discussions around the role of diversity, inclusion and local communities in the mining sector and also provided the opportunity to discuss the newest and most disruptive sustainability-driven innovations in the industry.

    Innovations such as the Climate Smart Mining Strategy, which the World Bank, together with GIZ`s sectoral program Extractives and Development (X4D) have developed. In this context, X4D together with their partners from the World Bank, the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment and the environmental organization Flora and Fauna International organized a Side Event on Minerals for Climate Action: Why Climate Smart Mining Matters for Africa.

    The tremendous interest of the participants in the side event demonstrated that the discussion around Climate Smart Mining is of high importance for Africa. Among the participants, delegations, inter alia, from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo were represented. The active participation and lively debate afterwards showed that it is more than timely to discuss the topic of Climate Smart Mining and to push for action to make mining more sustainable. Africa is in a unique position to benefit from the growing demand for these resources.

    The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) and the Competence Center Mining and Raw Materials of the German Chamber of Foreign Trade for Southern Africa (AHK) were also actively represented at the Mining INDABA. BMZ senior policy advisor Katja Hummel moderated the “IGF Sustainability Roundtable” on the topic of “Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the Mine Permitting Process”. Within the Inter-Governmental Summit, BGR Vice-President Volker Steinbach discussed with the South African Minister of Energy Jeff Radebe and representatives of the World Bank and the EU Commission on “Responsible Sourcing - the key towards successful energy transition and low carbon future”.

    Moreover, the sectoral program presented its work in two panel discussions. One on “Human Rights Risk Analysis - A Game Changer in Supply Chain Compliance” and one on “Implementing Local Content - Understanding Economic Opportunities”. On the subject of human rights, the sectoral program has been active for several years and in the past carried out human rights risk analyzes in the mining sector in Colombia and Mauritania. With regard to Local Content, the LION tool was introduced. The aim of this instrument is to bridge the capacity gap between global industry and local suppliers, thereby increasing local value added.

    Another highlight at this year’s Mining INDABA was the German Day with the title “Insights & Development along the Value Chain: German Expertise for the Raw Materials Sector”, which was organized by DERA together with the AHK for the second time. Thomas Gäckle, sub-director of commodity policy at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, emphasized in his opening speech the great opportunities of German-African cooperation in the raw materials sector. From exploration and mining to recycling, BGR experts and German and South African companies presented the latest developments. The well-attended event offered German companies at Africa's largest mining fair a platform to exchange and network with African business partners.

    For further information please contact Lisa Stellner.