Mining activities drive deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss – especially in tropical forest regions blessed with both mineral and species abundance. But mining-driven loss is not inevitable. Proven approaches like applying the mitigation hierarchy and establishing “no-go” zones can and do reduce harm from this essential economic sector.
Yet, on the whole, what efforts there have been to address mining’s environmental impacts are not nearly proportionate to the scale of the harm. In many forest- and mineral-rich countries, mining regulations and permitting systems remain largely "forest-blind," offering insufficient protection for ecosystems and forest communities. Meanwhile, global demand for transition minerals is poised to skyrocket in the coming years. Thus, a critical window has opened to shape a more responsible, forest-sensitive path forward for the sector.
As part of this effort, the Forest Declaration Assessment has published a new special report: "The role of voluntary sustainability initiatives in addressing impacts of mining on forests." This report explores the role that voluntary sustainability initiatives (VSIs) can play in driving better outcomes for forests and forest communities affected by mining. Drawing from desk research and interviews with 14 VSIs and other sector experts, the report assesses how well current standards and guidance documents account for forest impacts—and what more could be done.
Why voluntary sustainability initiatives matter
VSIs have become an influential part of the governance landscape in many commodity sectors, including mining. They often work closely with mining companies, traders, and downstream buyers, offering frameworks for responsible practices and serving as a signal to investors, consumers, and regulators. As such, VSIs have the potential to be powerful levers for change, especially in countries where public regulations are weak or unenforced.
VSIs contribute to more responsible mining in a number of ways, including through providing direct company support, hosting knowledge-sharing platforms, and taking initial steps to raise awareness of forest-related risks. However, most mining-focused VSIs still do not fully or explicitly integrate forest and ecosystem impacts into their standards and guidance. Further, many VSIs struggle to support participating mining companies in complying with even the most basic standard requirements—particularly small- and medium-scale mining operations that often lack capacity and resources.
What the report found
Key findings on the current state of play and opportunities for VSIs to expand their influence include:
- Forest considerations are rarely explicitly addressed in standards and guidance.
- Environmental due diligence tools and frameworks that better address forest risks are evolving, but uptake and alignment among VSIs has been uneven.
- VSIs are increasingly aware of the need to address biodiversity and ecosystem risks and impacts holistically—but there is little consensus on how to translate this into practical guidance, especially given participating mining companies’ competing priorities
- VSIs can do more to support companies’ implementation of existing forest and biodiversity safeguards, especially by engaging upstream actors like artisanal and small-scale miners and strengthening the business case for forest-sensitive mining.
- Alignment with policy and finance is key: VSIs have opportunities to support governments and financial institutions in setting stronger expectations and improving traceability and accountability across mineral supply chains.
Who this report is for
The report offers insights to mining sector VSIs themselves as well as to the companies that use them. In addition, the full ecosystem of actors who influence mining impacts are addressed: from government regulators to financial institutions, from civil society groups to Indigenous and forest communities seeking to shape better practices.
The report includes actionable recommendations for each of these groups. For example, VSIs can raise ambition by integrating key performance indicators from frameworks like the Global Biodiversity Framework, and should expand their guidance to cover the full mining lifecycle, not just the operation phase. Financial actors and downstream buyers can reinforce these efforts by demanding traceability and accountability for forest impacts. Governments can better align regulations with responsible practices already codified in leading voluntary standards.
A first step toward a broader assessment
This special report is a first step toward a broader body of work assessing mining’s role in forest loss and degradation, and identifying the most effective levers of change. A future, more comprehensive mining sector assessment under the Forest Declaration Assessment would aim to take stock of progress across the sector as a whole—including legal and illegal mining, direct and indirect drivers of forest impacts, and the roles of producer and consumer countries.
At the same time, efforts are underway to better engage financial institutions as key actors. Banks, investors, and development finance institutions can accelerate the shift toward forest-positive mining by setting clear expectations, providing financial incentives, and requiring robust due diligence across the minerals they finance.
Together, these efforts can help catalyze a mining sector that aligns with global forest goals. This new report provides a useful foundation—and an urgent call to action—for stakeholders across the mineral value chain to raise ambition, work collaboratively, and build accountability for forest protection into the heart of the energy transition.
