Social, economic and environmental metrics can then be used to report on a mining operation’s ESG performance and sustainability. Public reporting on sustainability in the form of documents or websites has in fact become a wellentrenched practice in the mining sector. However, there is also criticism of some sustainability reports, as the documentation is sometimes vague, incomplete or lacking in quality and transparency. In fact, a presentation on ESG performance can even be deceptive, as companies may use their communication strategies to convince the public or individuals that their activities and products are environmentally friendly, even when they are not (‘greenwashing’, Video Resource 1.5).
