UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Aidan Davy, the International Council on Mining and Metals’ (ICMM) chief operating officer, will give the 2017 G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Mineral Engineering at Penn State. His talk, “The global context of mining: the evolution from mining license to social license to social contract,” will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 7, in 26 Hosler Building on the University Park campus.
A reception will be held from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ Museum and Art Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.
About the lecture
The global context within which mining takes place is undergoing a period of profound change. Most commodities have experienced dramatic price fluctuations in the past five years. In parallel, many of the world’s largest mining companies have lost 50-70 percent of their value — some of which has been regained in the past year. At the same time, societal expectations for mining companies to behave responsibly and the instances of mining company-community conflict are arguably on the increase — while some stakeholders continue to question the intrinsic value of mining.
The concept of social license emerged almost 20 years ago in recognition that a formal license to mine was no longer sufficient to ensure mineral resources could be successfully developed in the long term. It emphasized the quality of relationships between a mining company and local communities and the importance of meeting community expectations. But increasingly, the ability to successfully develop mining projects in the long-term depends on a more broadly dispersed and inter-connected set of stakeholders and issues of concern.
Davy's lecture will explore how corporate responsibility has evolved in the past two decades and whether the concept of a social contract of mining offers a means of navigating the complex challenges faced by the mining industry in a changing world. Davy will explore how corporate responsibility has evolved in the past two decades and whether the concept of a social contract of mining offers a means of navigating the complex challenges faced by the mining industry in a changing world.
About Aidan Davy
Aidan Davy joined ICMM in June 2007. As COO, he is responsible for strategy development and implementation, collaboration across ICMM’s program areas and integrating communications into all ICMM’s work. He leads work-program planning, the allocation of staff resources and staff development. He also leads ICMM’s work on the role of mining and metals in society. Prior to assuming the role of COO in 2015, Aidan led ICMM’s work on social and economic development, investor engagement, sustainability reporting and independent assurance.
Aidan has 30 years of cross-sectoral experience on sustainable development issues, working with a range of private, multi-lateral and not-for-profit organizations, including the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation in Washington DC. For almost 20 years, his primary focus has been on social responsibility and accountability issues, with a strong emphasis on the extractive industries.
About the G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture
The G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture Series in Mineral Engineering was established in 1992 by Mercedes G. Shoemaker to honor the memory of her husband, a Pittsburgh civic and industrial leader dedicated to the support of higher education. G. Albert Shoemaker, a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus, had an eminent career in the mineral industries. He was for many years a leader of the coal industry, serving as president of the Pittsburgh Coal Division of Babcock & Wilcox, and later as president of Consolidation Coal Company from 1960 to 1966. Among many civic and philanthropic activities, he served as a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees from 1957 to 1978 and as board chairman from 1970 to 1972.
For more information about the G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture Series, visit http://www.eme.psu.edu/news-events/lectures.