African battery metals are central to global ESG agenda, says Indaba panel – by Marleny Arnoldi (MiningWeekly.com – February 4, 2021)

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The world is increasingly electrifying, while also focusing on environmental protection using green technology to do so, and Africa needs to capture as much of the investment value that goes along with those trends, Bushveld Minerals CEO Fortune Mojapelo has said.

Speaking during a panel discussion on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects and “green metals” on the second day of the virtually-hosted Investing in African Mining Indaba, he mentioned that the mining industry was embracing the mantra of going beyond compliance, moving away from ESG considerations being on the periphery and including those considerations in their core strategies.

“Regulation, as a tool to drive ESG, is insufficient; it is only a starting point. Certainly, investors are looking more at ESG commitments and they are defining due diligence capabilities around ESG outcomes.

“For mining, particularly, there are important themes worth emphasising: the application of the mined products, since mining is increasingly recognised as driving down carbon footprints thanks to rare metals; and repeated or recycled use of metals, which speaks to the circular economy narrative; and the industry’s focus on environmental responsibility,” he explained.

For the rest of this article: https://www.miningweekly.com/article/african-battery-metals-are-central-to-global-esg-agenda-says-indaba-panel-2021-02-04