Mining with Nature: Sweden’s first industry roadmap on biodiversity

Authors: Hägglund, T Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_0.01

Cite As:
Hägglund, T 2025, 'Mining with Nature: Sweden’s first industry roadmap on biodiversity', in S Knutsson, AB Fourie & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2025: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_0.01



Abstract:
Mining with Nature is Sweden’s first industry-wide roadmap for biodiversity, inspired by the Towards Sustainable Mining protocol, the work of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), and Sweden’s industry roadmaps for fossil-free competitiveness. Tailored to Swedish conditions, it identifies a common goal to contribute to Biodiversity Net Gain by 2030, concrete actions towards this goal, innovation gaps and calls to politicians and authorities. The roadmap operates within a pre-competitive space, providing a shared direction for the mining sector. The development of Mining with Nature was a learning process for the industry, bringing companies together to build a common understanding of biodiversity challenges and opportunities. This collective learning continues as companies work toward the roadmap’s commitments, which emphasise continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Anchored in the mitigation hierarchy – avoid, minimise, restore, and compensate – this roadmap has enabled the industry to collectively build and share knowledge, foster innovation, and develop best practices under Swedish conditions. It serves as a platform for testing new methods, advancing restoration efforts, and strengthening biodiversity management. Concrete examples include: A long-term vision is key – integrating biodiversity management plans that enable progressive restoration where possible. The roadmap’s commitments include not only setting targets but also actively monitoring progress. The Changing Land use Impact on Biodiversity (CLIMB) metric plays a crucial role in both monitoring progress towards the 2030 goal and guiding the industry towards the first steps of the mitigation hierarchy, emphasising restoration. While Mining with Nature focuses on ecosystems, it ultimately addresses a societal challenge. Nature forms the foundation of our communities and human well-being. Long-term sustainability is not only about technical stability, safety, and preventing environmental harm but also restoring functional ecosystems that support other industries (e.g. reindeer herding, tourism) and local communities. It is about giving back a functional landscape. The Mining with Nature roadmap is available in four languages and will continue to evolve to better support the industry's journey toward its goals. A dedicated website provides a space where the sector shares best practices, offering inspiration and learning opportunities for others.

Keywords: mining, biodiversity, roadmap, mitigation hierarchy, restoration

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