In terms of sustainable development, the current global problem is global warming and climate change. The mining sector should be guided by the agenda of sustainable development, which is fixed in the Mining Sector Development Strategy.
Vardan Jhanyan, President of the Union of Miners and Metallurgists of Armenia, mentioned in a conversation with Iravaban.net, that Armenia has already taken a step in terms of confrontation.
“The Republic of Armenia has signed the Paris Agreement: that is, the country undertook responsibility to participate in that process, that climate change, global warming should be limited to 1.5-2 degrees. In that regard, Armenia has already taken that step. We, as a non-governmental organization representing business, will be a participant in those steps to work against global warming. And as the most important branch, the main limiting problem of global warming is critical metals: lack of copper, lithium, and other metals. In this regard, we will do everything to be a participant in ensuring the demand for these metals by producing more copper and lithium, so that the problem will be solved in some way,” Jhanyan explained.
It is also mentioned in the strategy that the mining industry can contribute to the realization of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. In order to limit the impact of climate change, the world is moving towards a “green economy” transformation, therefore, the introduction of sustainable working practices in the mining industry has become more important.
According to Sargis Kelyan, Dean of the Faculty of Geography and Geology of Yerevan State University, we already have a Sustainable Development Center at the Faculty of Geography and Geology of YSU. “The center cooperates with similar centers. We have planned quite large programs, from training programs to business orders, during which we meet with our partners in the business environment.
The strategy also states that renewable energy, water conservation, biodiversity conservation, social protection and protection of human rights are integral to sustainable mining today. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concept factors contributing to sustainable growth should also operate in the mining industry of Armenia.
“We will try to overcome the gap in the field through our center, the misconception that yes, it is possible to engage in mining in our republic with three aspects of sustainable development: economic, social, and ecological,” Sargis Kelyan says.
Details in the video.
