Sustainability standards and initiatives (SSIs) have become an increasingly important feature of mining governance worldwide. While traditionally developed as voluntary, non-state instruments, many SSIs are now influencing how governments design, implement, and enforce public policy in the mining sector.
This report examines how SSIs integrate into public mining governance, the forms this integration takes, and the conditions under which SSIs can complement public regulation.
Case studies from Brazil, Madagascar and Sweden illustrate that SSIs can be most effective when used as complementary instruments, supporting learning, harmonisation, and implementation, while public regulation remains the primary source of legal authority. More broadly, the report demonstrates the importance of ensuring that producing-country perspectives reflect in the design and governance of international sustainability initiatives.
As governments continue to navigate increasingly complex sustainability, due diligence, and reporting requirements, the strategic and well-designed integration of SSIs can enhance mining governance—provided it reinforces, rather than replaces, public regulation.
