A new discussion forum www.kaivos2030.fi created by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and covering the Finnish minerals cluster was launched today with a statement by the Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen.
The discussion forum is part of the Finnish Government Programme (2011 – 2015) of Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen’s Cabinet which promotes the development and sustainable growth of the minerals cluster and aims at making Finland a leading country on sustainable mining.
”We have seen in Finland that the mining causes significant environmental and social impacts. A broad support throughout the civil society is a crucial prerequisite for the development of sustainable minerals cluster. We need open discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the sector”, said Prime Minister Katainen.
On the forum www.kaivos2030.fi, statements by representatives of The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, FinnMin – Finnish Association of Extractive Resources Industry, and tourism industry were published today to open the discussion.
“The Finnish mining industry needs to earn the social license to mine. The forum will inspire stakeholders and citizens to discuss this remarkable sector profoundly. Issues such as how to prevent environmental impacts of the minerals cluster, what kind of new business opportunities the mining industry will create, or what kind of international collaboration is needed , will be discussed”, says Chairman Pasi Rinne of Gaia.
A high-level round table meeting convened by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy in October 2012 with the senior management of the mining and mineral corporations and their stakeholders agreed that extraction and mineral industry must be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. The meeting agreed to draft an action programme to make Finland the leading country on sustainable mineral industry. The design and drafting of the action programme is led by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy in close collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, and will be completed by the end of April 2013. Gaia acts as the consultant of the project by supporting and facilitating the consultations and drafting.
For further information:
- Pasi Rinne, Chairman of the Board, tel. +41 79 472 6909
- Read the news in Finnish at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy’s website
