Sustainable Management in the Extractive Industry (FutureLearn)

Explain the environmental and societal impact of mineral extraction

With scientific materials and cutting-edge insights curated by renowned experts, you’ll investigate innovative approaches and solutions to the most pressing sustainability issues in the extractive sector.

Using the SUMEX framework, you’ll focus on five key action areas: permitting and licensing, health and safety, land use planning, environmental and socio-economic impact assessment, and reporting.

With this overview, you’ll be able to contextualise your knowledge within the areas of policy, business, and civil society, helping you analyse and discuss stakeholder needs.

Analyse environmental impact using tools such as the three pillars of sustainability

You’ll investigate sustainable extractive management processes through various conceptual lenses and methodological approaches such as the three pillars of sustainability, leverage points, and the Institutional Resource Regime.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to apply and adapt sustainability frameworks to reflect different organisational needs.

Discover sustainable management best practice in policy and industry

Framing discussions within the European extractive sector, you’ll share best practice with fellow learners from around the world.

Combining shared experiences and expert insights, you’ll be able to identify successful approaches to sustainability and embed them in your own management practices.

What topics will you cover?

- The societal relevance of mineral extraction for the transition towards a greener economy.

- Sustainability approaches and key-challenges in the extractive industry, especially in the European context, and how to address them from a public policy and industry perspective.

- Potential solutions based on practical examples, which can be applied across Europe.

- The application of state of the art sustainability concepts at the operational level.

- Methodological approaches to analyse and understand systemic change towards sustainability (Leverage Points & Institutional Resource Regime).

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Reflect on the importance of a coherent approach to sustainability framework in the extractive sector 

- Explain the societal relevance of raw material extraction 

- Investigate the main pillars of sustainable extractive management 

- Apply sustainability frameworks for mineral extraction to different institutional and local contexts

- Identify and evaluate good practices in the extractive industry in a critical manner

- Discuss with experts and peers the current state and related challenges of the European extractive sector

- Explore the SUMEX and other important tools about good practice learning 

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for leaders, managers and stakeholders in the mineral extractive industry who want to learn about the challenges, solutions and new developments in sustainability.

It will be especially useful for public administrators and industry practitioners wishing to understand and implement sustainability management at any stage of the mining life cycle from exploration to post-closure. This course may also benefit those interested in the importance of raw materials for a sustainable future and the challenges connected to them.