Mary Louise McAllister

Place-based local governance and sustainable communities: lessons from Canadian biosphere reserves

The quest for sustainable communities might be fostered by a new ‘place-based’ governing approach that engages civil society and other actors in local decision-making processes. In Canada, lessons can be learned from the establishment and maintenance of biosphere reserves by networks of local communities of interests and other organisations. Biosphere reserves are created to promote conservation, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods. Municipal and public participation in these reserves can be encouraged, promoting a local sense of place as well as sustainable community and regional development. An examination of two Canadian biosphere reserves, Riding Mountain and Long Point, illustrates how local governments and these reserves might assist each other in their mutual goals of long-term sustainability while offering a worthwhile model of local collaborative, place-based governance.

Mining sustainably: Opportunities for Canada and Brazil

Abstract Complexity is the by‐word for the interconnected social, economic, environmental, and political forces that are shaping the mineral investment and trade environment today. In the past two decades, South American nations have aggressively pursued foreign investment dollars, free trade agreements, and embarked on a course of privatization of many state‐owned companies. Brazil, which long followed a policy of isolationism, also engaged in the global trend toward trade liberalization in the mid‐1990s. These developments, along with many shared characteristics, have led to a number of cooperative ventures between two countries that have a considerable stake in the mining sector; Canada and Brazil. This paper examines the developing relationship between Canada and Brazil, and highlights many of the challenges and some of the responses that characterize the changing face of the global mining regime in an era of growing socio‐environmental concerns and pressures for strategic economic alliances.

Unstable shafts and shaky pillars: institutional capacity and sustainable mineral policy in Canada

In Canada, and many resource-based economies, governments have been very effective in promoting and exploiting mineral development to accomplish various national objectives. Much less certain, and relatively overlooked by the research community, is whether or not governing institutions have the capacity to create and implement the complex and adaptive strategies identified as crucial for addressing the environmental challenges posed by mining. We explore the institutional capacity to govern for sustainability and offer some possible strategies relevant not only to Canadian policymakers, but to other world-leading mineral-producing countries.

Government and voluntary policymaking for sustainability in mining towns: A longitudinal analysis of Itabira, Brazil

The socio‐economic fabric of single‐company mining towns needs to be carefully considered by both Government and companies in sustainability policymaking. Policy design and effectiveness in such towns are significantly impacted by the citys economic dependence on a single company. This paper explores the perceived effectiveness of government and voluntary private sector mining policies for pursuing sustainability in the historic mining town of Itabira, Brazil over a period of 20 years. Itabira serves as a worthwhile case study because it allows for an in‐depth and longitudinal analysis that can reveal valuable lessons to policymakers of different sectors and jurisdictions located elsewhere. Based on extensive face‐to‐face interviews and literature reviews, study results indicate that changes to the state environmental licensing policies in the 1990s led to significant socio‐environmental improvements in the area. The globalization of the mining company also contributed to an increase in the quantity and quality of voluntary industry policies. Recent technological improvements in the beneficiation processes of the mining company promises to extend the life of the mine to 2050. Although there are significant incremental socio‐environmental policies and programmes, sustainability remains an elusive vision in Itabira, with no clear objectives or monitoring and accountability mechanisms. The paper concludes by recommending a more formal integrated policymaking framework.

A Comparative Analysis of Voluntary Environmental Initiatives in the Canadian Mineral Industry

Mineral development companies with operations in Canada are becoming increasingly aware that they need to publicly demonstrate their capability of dealing with environmental and social concerns in a responsible manner. As such, voluntary initiatives have become a common part of mining activity in Canada. While there are many different categories, voluntary measures can include on-site work during operations and monitoring to ensure the health and safety of the built and natural environments, habitat conservation and reclamation, community participation and consultation, research partnerships, financial contributions and education of the workforce and relevant stakeholders. A review of the Canadian mineral industrys activities in this area, with specific focus on wildlife and habitat protection, suggests that many mining companies use voluntary initiatives as an integral part of their operations. From the perspective of the industry, the goal of these initiatives is threefold: to ensure that adequate envi...

An Integrated Approach to Mineral Policy

Governments and industries in the natural resources sectors are beginning to recognize the importance of adopting a more holistic approach to resource management. Canada has been a global leader in the adoption of multi-stakeholder approaches to mineral resource policy design and development. As such, Canada offers a worthwhile case-study in which to examine the changing resource management environment of the mineral industry. Of particular interest here is the role that can be played by the federal department, Natural Resources Canada, and the Canadian mineral industry in fostering an integrated and sustainable strategy for the mineral sector. Integrated resource and environmental management offers a useful conceptual foundation on which to base this strategy.