Brunel’s CIO David Vickers serves on the investor steering committee of the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030. The investor-led initiative provides a powerful platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue on how the mining sector, which is going to play a critical role in delivering metals and minerals for a low carbon future, can address the interrelated and systemic challenges it faces. The initiative seeks to advance a deeper understanding of how investors can drive operational resilience within the sector, promote best practice across a range of issues – from circularity to biodiversity to human rights and ensure that it adequately and responsibly manages the inevitable conflicts that can arise from extraction.
Established in September 2023, the Commission builds on the learnings and experience of the investor-led response to the 2019 Brumadinho disaster (which contributed to the creation of a Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management). The membership includes representatives from communities, intergovernmental organisations, civil society, academia, law, unions, the mining industry, banking, insurance and investors amongst others. It has the backing of 82 investors managing assets beyond $11 trillion.
In November 2023, the commission embarked on foundational research issuing an open call for evidence to support a landscape study. The landscape study seeks to understand supply and demand for energy transition minerals, both now and in the future, and will help inform an understanding of key challenges for the mining sector in meeting demand. The study will seek to identify key trends, opportunities and bottlenecks for growth on a macro, industry wide level, and on a mineral-by-mineral basis.