By The Kellogg Innovation Network

New York, NY – As part of its Mining Company of the Future initiative, the Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN) at the Kellogg School of Management, held a high-profile event today to launch the Development Partner Framework (DPF). The framework seeks to inspire and support the mining industry to adopt a new way of thinking and a new approach to how it secures, nurtures and progressively revitalizes its social license to operate.

“Society’s expectations of the mining industry continue to increase and there is a growing recognition in the industry that incremental improvements to how we run our business are not enough,” said Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American. “Our aspiration is to fundamentally change the extractive business model of the mining industry from insular and reactive, to an integrated and proactive development partner, delivering on economic, environmental and social shared purpose.”

Held at the offices of the Ford Foundation, the program was attended by 100 leaders from business, NGO, government, investor, academic, indigenous and community organizations. It began with a welcome from the Ford Foundation President, Darren Walker and featured a keynote address by Mark Cutifani who is co-chair of the KIN Catalyst mining initiative. A diverse panel followed, moderated by Peter Bryant, Senior Fellow at the KIN and consisting of Mark Cutifani, Rev. Séamus P. Finn, OMI (OIP Investment Trust, Chair of Board, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility), Ray Offenheiser (CEO, Oxfam America) and Mark Podlasly (Senior Advisor, First Nations Energy and Mining Council and Member, Nlaka’pamux Nation).

According to Mark Podlasly, the vision for the Development Partner Framework comes “from a deep sense of shared purpose to promote healthy relationships with local communities, flourishing ecosystems and sustainable economic growth. We believe this can be a catalyst for economic sustainability and promote a healthy planet for all.”

“Sustainability can no longer be seen as a constraint to growth or pursued only by large organizations whose main approach is reactive and focused on satisfying the reporting requirements of local communities and governments,” says Diego Areces, Mining, Minerals and Metals Segment President at Schneider Electric. “It is becoming a differentiating competitive advantage that concerns every stakeholder, including customers and shareholders, and it won’t be long before sustainability is as important as any other financial variable.”

Miners must embrace this new mindset and also apply it to the development of their internal strategies for exploration, development, operations and closure. “Without a step change in innovation investment, mining will not be able to meet the expectations of society,” says Henk Beukman, global business director of Mining and Metallurgy Solutions for 3M. “We plan to use science and our technological expertise to develop game-changing solutions to move the industry forward.”

“As leaders, we have an opportunity and more importantly a responsibility, to set our industry on a new path that will transform its future,” remarked Peter Bryant who is co-chairing the efforts. “We’ve brought together a creative coalition of leaders across multiple sectors of society. Over the past two years, they’ve helped us set a new direction for the mining industry and we’re excited to bring new players into the conversation through today’s event.”

The Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN) is excited to announce the public launch of the Development Partner Framework (DPF) as a road map for the mining industry to adopt a new approach to how it secures, nurtures and progressively revitalizes its social license to operate.

More information describing the Development Partner Framework can be found atwww.kinglobal.org.

 

About the Kellogg Innovation Network

The Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN) at the Kellogg School of Management is a platform for on-going collaboration between Kellogg faculty, corporate innovation leaders and government officials. Founded in 2003, the KIN facilitates strategy and management dialogue to promote innovation-led growth and build long-term value.

Through events like KIN Dialogues, KIN Global Summits, KIN Catalysts and KIN Expeditions, we are building a global network of thought leaders who have the collective ability to advance the global prosperity agenda. Rather than delivering lectures, Kellogg faculty members act as facilitators during KIN events and engage in collaborative research with our executive colleagues on topics of interest to our partner companies and the global business community.