Sustainablility discussions will dominate the Future Mineral Summit scheduled in Riyadh for January 2021, the Vice Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources told Arab News.
Khalid Al-Mudaifer added that the Saudi government will not allow companies to exploit any minerals if they are not sustainable and environmentally responsible, and if this cannot be guaranteed the resources “should be left in the ground.”
Referring to the meeting set to be held from Janaury 11-13, he said: “What we are going to talk 80% of the time is about how to do it environmentally, how to help the world do lower emission, electrify itself, have windmills, have solar farms,” he said
Sustainability is an important pillar for mining, and with the mining regulations approved early this year, the sector is fully complying with ESG standards that includes environment preservation, social benefits to communities, and clear governance, because “the community needs to be served, to benefit, and to see they are taken care of,” he said.
Source: www.arabnews.com
