ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
Avoiding silos is key for strategic sustainability compliance The growing complexity of environmental management and sustainability in mining has left no room for a siloed approach to compliance.
Operational dust management measures supporting environmental compliance in mining operations through effective dust suppression, air quality control and responsible environmental management practices.
A ccording to Natasha Smyth, Technical Discipline Manager - Africa Group - Environmental & Social Impact Assessment at SLR Consulting, one of the most significant shifts in recent years is the recognition that compliance cannot be managed in isolation. “Environmental compliance can no longer be approached in silos,” Smyth explains. “Decisions around water management affect biodiversity, for instance, while tailings management influences social risk and permitting and closure planning needs to be considered alongside the earliest technical studies in a project. Everything is interconnected.” As a result, what was once treated as a largely regulatory box-ticking exercise has become a central determinant of project viability, operational continuity and access to capital. Today’s mining companies must navigate a dense interconnected landscape spanning environmental regulation, ESG reporting, water stewardship, tailings management, biodiversity protection, emissions reduction and social licence to operate. “The interconnectedness of all these fields is at the heart of the compliance challenge,” she explains. “Mining companies are no longer required to meet only national regulatory requirements. They must also align with international frameworks such as the IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles and the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management - while responding to increasing scrutiny from investors, regulators and communities.” Smyth notes that the complexity lies not only in the volume of requirements but in how they overlap and influence one another. At the same time, mining companies are often dealing with legacy issues, expansion pressures, decarbonisation targets and operational constraints. “Managing all of this while keeping projects on schedule is increasingly demanding,” she says. “In this context, SLR
Environmental testing and monitoring programmes play a critical role in supporting operational compliance, environmental management and responsible mining practices at mine sites.
Consulting’s role is to simplify this complexity by integrating technical, environmental, social and regulatory workstreams into a single, coherent compliance pathway.” Rather than treating compliance as a fragmented set of obligations, SLR Consulting works to align these elements into practical implementable strategies. This integrated approach helps mining companies embed sustainability into core operational decision-making, with tangible commercial benefits. “The most successful mining companies view compliance as part of operational resilience and long-term value creation,” Smyth explains. “For example, improving water efficiency can reduce operational risk, stronger closure planning can lower future liabilities and transparent ESG performance can improve access to finance.” At a practical level, SLR Consulting supports clients by embedding sustainability considerations directly into project design and execution. This includes advising on water and energy
24 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | JULY 2026
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker