The approaches of strategic environmental management used by mining companies in Finland

Abstract

Global megatrends such as scarcity of natural resources and urbanization have been the drivers for a mining sector upswing. Therefore, the mining sector in Finland, with attractive ore geology, has recently experienced rapid growth and new mines have been opened. At the same time, society's expectations have increased, resulting in a public debate on mining companies' environmental and social responsibility. Companies have the same positioning choices relative to their competitors, but environmental issues are a new area of interest in order to stand out strategically. In this study of companies with mining operations in Finland, strategic environmental management practices are examined based on companies' own public information. This article takes a closer look at whether their public reporting projects an image of strategic environmental management. The results show that environmental and social considerations are essential elements in companies' commitments and strengthen their business strategy. This study also shows a gap between strategic commitments and their implementation, based on the company reports. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.