RETURNING TO THE MINE? A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON MINING COMPANIES AND THEIR TRANSITIONS

Abstract

This issue of Entreprises et Histoire offers new perspectives on the mining industry and questions if it possible to use the term “responsible mining” in the context of today’s energy and ecological transition. As global demand for critical metals grows exponentially, Europe and France are reassessing the significant role played by extractive industries in maintaining energy sovereignty, supporting re-localization and promoting environmental exemplarity. As a result, the “mining revival” is thus increasingly being presented by policy makers as a means of developing and responsibility and sustainability. This issue allows us to take a long-term perspective on this phenomenon. The articles in the issue collectively highlight the inherent contradictions of this revival that reflect a combination of economic pressures, geopolitical tensions and ongoing social and environmental costs. Drawing on several disciplines within the social sciences, the articles analyse how the mining industry has justified its practices and the methods by which it has regulated from the 18th century to the present day. They explore how technical, economic and political discourse has evolved in addition to accounting practices and the social compromises surrounding risk, compensation and workers’ health. Through this plurality of perspectives, the issue sheds light on the historical construction of discourse relating to responsibility, how they have been used strategic uses and their tangible effects on territories and populations. Finally, it questions the scope of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a sector whose history has been marked by social and environmental conflict. In doing so, it reveals how the promise of “sustainable mining” has often served to perpetuate long-standing tensions.