State Governance of Mining, Development and Sustainability

States in mineral-rich jurisdictions promote mining as a development industry, and at the same time attempt to protect people and the environment from the worst excesses of extractivism and neo-extractivism. Exploring how the State’s role in facilitating a developmental and sustainable mining industry has been defined, this eminent work is a world-first analysis of the principal narratives framing mining, development and sustainability in developed and developing countries.

Through a global, comparative analysis, Tracy-Lynn Field illustrates how these themes are woven into the technical governance areas of property, taxation, environmental assessment and mine closure. Ultimately, this book shows how the promotional and protective role of the State constituted by the advocacy, policies and laws of international financial institutions, industry associations, activists, and mineral-rich jurisdictions supports an unsustainable system of global mining production. Progressive in its approach, the book concludes with insightful thoughts on the paradigm of post-extractivism.

State Governance of Mining, Development and Sustainability is a must read for students and scholars interested in the law and governance of mining and development, as well as environmental law and governance more widely. Its practical implications will also prove informative for practitioners and policy makers working in the field.