LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The mineral mining industry can play a central role in local community development by influencing positive change in rural and isolated areas.

Mining can also be a pivotal catalyst to help build up sustainable income sources in places far from economic centres so that communities can develop independently and attract diverse industries while preventing de-population and regional disparities.

BIODIVERSITY & ECOSYSTEMS

Forward Mining Europe projects are exemplary and showcase how extractive industries can co-exist with nature.

Active mines and quarries can create biodiversity and ecosystems, which enable the appearance and development of populations of pioneer species with a high biological value.

Meanwhile, non-active operations have the potential to become ecological hot spots by promoting rare open landscapes and wetlands. Due to different soil types, geographies and the creation of wetlands, many birds and amphibious are among the primary beneficiaries of restored and renatured sites.

HEALTH & SAFETY

The mining industry in Europe has come a long way in recent decades. As a sector representing heavy industry and operating in challenging settings, ensuring healthy and safe working conditions has become our absolute priority

The sector has significantly improved health and safety over the past decade. However, we know there is always more to do, so we continue investing heavily in projects to protect workers from occupational health hazards and implementing voluntary codes of conduct to address specific issues.

ENERGY TRANSITION

Minerals and metals are the vital components powering the green energy transition and decarbonisation of the planet.

Like many other European sectors, the mineral industry invests heavily in green technologies and decarbonisation solutions to lower its environmental footprint.

Forward Mining Europe projects are exemplary and showcase some of the best and largest examples of the industrial mining industry.

INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION

All mining companies have innovation in their DNA. Maintaining existing applications while developing and delivering new solutions in response to societal challenges are potent research and industrial innovation drivers.

Minerals are usually unseen materials that profoundly affect our daily lives. Due to their versatility and particular chemical characteristics, minerals are essential to Europe’s industrial base. In recent years, environmental applications focused on circular economy solutions and resource optimisation have been the main driver of innovation in the sector.

HERITAGE & CULTURE

From the Rhineland to Galicia all the way to Cornwall and back to Silesia, mining has a long tradition in Europe. Since the Phoenicians ventured west in search of (mineral and metal) wealth, the history and development of Europe have been interlinked with mining. And despite some common conceptions, the continent is rich in mineral resources, and the sector has the potential to source most of its critical and (non-critical) materials within its borders.

Since the industrial revolution, mineral and metal mining has significantly shaped many regions of Europe. The areas rich in mining resources were among the first industrialised and, along the way, have created products, craftsmanship and traditions that continue to this day.

Forward Mining Europe seeks to promote the rich heritage and culture of Europe’s mining regions.

RESTORATION

The European industrial minerals sector takes great care to minimise the environmental and visible impact of its open-cast mine and quarry operations, working in partnership with governments, local communities, NGOs and other stakeholders on restoration.

The sector aims to mitigate and prevents possible negative impacts during mining while providing opportunities to enhance biodiversity after extraction ceases.

By converting swamps and pools on sites to enhance their potential as habitats and restoring the area once industrial activity ends, mines and quarries have renatured thousands of hectares across Europe.