In April 2021, the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) undertook to develop an issues paper identifying long-term risks, issues, and trends for copper – focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations.

The paper begins with a broad scan of global issues and trends followed by issues specific to copper. The final section offers reflections for the industry as it thinks its way through these complex matters. Table 1 describes each section. The paper has been prepared through desktop research and a targeted review of grey and academic literature.2 Informal discussions with five subject matter experts have been incorporated throughout the sections of the paper.

This paper was initiated and supported by Rio Tinto Copper under the auspices of the Rio Tinto-CSRM Research Partnership, which has been in place since 2006.