Corporate Engagement Strategies in Northern Mining: Boliden, Sweden and Cameco, Canada.

The role of corporations in societal outcomes continues to grow. Mining companies now face the expectation of not only providing economic benefits to communities, but act as a facilitator for social wellbeing and environmental stewardship. In the mining sector, this has placed renewed attention to defining corporate social responsibility and, in turn, how social license to operate is understood. These developments are particularly pertinent when mining operations affect Indigenous communities - where land use is central to livelihood. This study looks at the community engagement strategies of two mining companies in northern countries, Cameco (Canada) and Boliden (Sweden). By comparing their approaches, this paper explores the development of their practices over time and assess to what extent their corporate policy has translated into everyday practice and outcomes. The findings of demonstrate that high levels of trust are established when corporate approaches are built around transparency and collaboration - resulting in agreements that include long-term partnerships around socio-economic and environmental management.

Mining and Sustainability in the Circumpolar North: The Role of Government in Advancing Corporate Social Responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is recognized as important to fostering sustainable natural resource development in the Circumpolar North. Governments are playing an increasingly active role in promoting and shaping CSR initiatives, often in collaboration with Indigenous communities and industry. This paper explores the role of CSR in mining for improving socio-economic and environmental management practice. The article argues that government instituted regulations can lead to the development and implementation of CSR practices by mining companies. To examine the relationship between government requirements and CSR, we use two Northern case studies: Cameco Corporation's uranium mining operations located in Saskatchewan, Canada and Northern Iron's iron mining operation located in Troms and Finnmark county, Norway. Through an in-depth review of scholarly literature, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews, our findings suggest that the role of the state in the initiation and implementation of CSR is of much greater importance than is currently acknowledged in the literature. In the case of Cameco, the Mine Surface Lease Agreements agreed to by the corporation and the provincial government provided motivation for the development and implementation of their world-renowned CSR practices, resulting in a community-based environmental monitoring program and benefits for both the company and surrounding communities. With Northern Iron's operations in Kirkenes, working hour requirements instituted by the Norwegian Government allowed for significantly higher levels of local employment. Our findings suggest a greater role exists for government to facilitate the adoption of CSR policies, contributing in turn to improved socio-economic and environmental outcomes for Northern communities.

Community as Governor: Exploring the role of Community between Industry and Government in SLO.

For many natural resource projects, the impact on Indigenous communities is a primary concern. Therefore, governance arrangements that account for the interests of companies, communities, and government are critical for the project's success. This paper looked at two successful mining projects in northern Canada, McArthur River and Diavik, to examine the governance arrangement that led to mutually beneficial outcomes. Through an analysis of interviews and documents, we assessed both governing institutions and interactions to understand how the respective companies and communities established a high level of trust. In both cases, government took a less prominent role in the management of resources, allowing the Indigenous communities to hold a stronger role in the governance of the resources. Both Indigenous communities, therefore, built partnerships with the company around socio-economic benefits along with environmental monitoring - redefining 'community' in governance arrangements.