مدیریت زنجیره تامین پایدار برای مواد معدنی Sustainable supply chain management for minerals

1 Introduction Sustainability in mineral supply chains (SCs) is a contentious topic: Some say that sustainability is already a reality in mineral SCs, while others consider the phrase an oxymoron. Both the positive effects of mineral SCs on employment and revenue generation and their severe environmental and social impacts have been widely discussed in the field (Laurence, 2011). However, the implementation of sustainable development “that meets the basic needs of all people without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own lifesustaining needs” (WCED, 1987) requires the inclusion of all three dimensions — economic, environmental, and social — of the triple bottom line (TBL) (Elkington, 1997). In the case of non-renewable resources, like minerals, this task implies a double responsibility of the current generation. First, this generation has to use the minerals to meet its own needs. Second, it has to sustain and enhance its other resources or develop new ones, which future generations can rely on. This encompasses especially preserving the fertility of farmlands, building mineral processing capabilities, or developing businesses and industries which do not rely on mineral resources (Ebert and La Menza, 2015; Morris et al., 2012; Solomon, 2011). However, balancing these tasks is highly challenging, as it is a trade into the future with an uncertain outcome. Giurco and Cooper (2012) demonstrate that discussions related to this trade-off mainly focus on the mines themselves, and they call for the adoption of a more integrated view. Drawing from the research on supply chain management (SCM), we suggest that the SC offers a useful perspective on the issue. Giurco and Petrie (2007, p. 843) summarize the applicability of SCs in the challenging context of minerals by stating: “Notwithstanding the complexity of connected metal cycles, the value chain perspective provides a helpful starting point from which to consider the sustainability of metal cycles at large, with explicit consideration of conflicting objectives, values and perspectives.” These conflicting sustainability perceptions and issues along the SC impact the ability of the current generation to use the minerals in their own interests and need to be addressed to enhance the sustainability in mineral SC (Fleury and Davies, 2012; McLellan et al., 2009).