Sustainable development goals in the mining industry: a developing country perspective

Multinational Corporations have a great opportunity to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is more so in developing regions such as Africa that face huge challenges meeting SDGs. Despite the significance placed on MNCs and in particular, the mining industry as one of the key partners to realise the SDGs, research has shown that multinational corporations (MNCs) engage less with local communities surrounding mining operations (United Nations, 2015; Nunyonameh and Abdulai, 2022; Selmier and Newenman-Kahindi, 2021). A recent report produced by the Responsible Mining Foundation (RMF) (2022) shows that the 250 mines assessed across 53 developing countries owned by MNCs, cannot demonstrate that they are informing and engaging with host communities on SDG related projects.

Efforts, however, are increasingly being made at international summits, including Paris Agreement, COP26 and COP27 suggesting a consensus for example, to move from coal mining towards green energy as an alternative energy source to reduce the impact on people and the environment. Despite this global effort, research suggests that mining and its impact on host communities persist (Cole and Broadhurst, 2021; Dikgwatlhe & Mulenga, 2023; Nunyonameh and Abdulai, 2022; Selmier & Newenham-Kahindi, 2021). Yet, how host communities perceive, and their expectations of MNCs to address their local sustainability issues have largely been overlooked in current empirical literature in favour of foreign MNCs’ corporate social responsibility approach in developing countries (Amos, 2018; Doh, Husted and Yang, 2015; Marano, Tashma and Kostova, 2017; Selmier and Newenham-Kahindi, 2015). Research on the impact of mining on communities from the perspective of the SDGs offers a unique opportunity to investigate host communities’ engagement with, and the activities of both foreign and local MNCs in a developing country context. With this broad outline of the area of study, candidates are encouraged to develop a proposal for consideration. The proposal should demonstrate understanding of the importance of the mining sector to meeting SDGs. Additionally, the proposal should outline theoretical lens and research methods that will underpin their research question (s).

Geographically, the study should focus on mining operations, preferably, in Africa but any other developing regions are welcome.

• Candidate must have a good Masters’ degree, preferably in International Business and Management
• Qualitative research skills are essential.
• Potential candidates can take a country/sector focus or a cross country/sector study, preferably from developing countries where MNCs operate.

This is a self-funded PhD project for UK applicants.