The race for critical minerals is accelerating, but mining can no longer be just about extraction. Responsible mining is about impact - from protecting human rights and supporting communities to driving sustainable economic growth. This blog explores the scale of the challenge, the evolving social license to operate, and practical frameworks companies can use to embed ethical, conflict-sensitive, and community-focused practices across their operations - in Australia and around the world.

This week, we joined 200 leaders from business, government, and civil society at the inaugural UN Business and Human Rights Regional Forum, focusing on the Australian Dialogue on Business and Human Rights. The event highlighted how businesses can strengthen human rights practices in turbulent times, with key takeaways on collaboration, conflict risk, inclusivity, and integrated approaches to ESG.

Many well-meaning initiatives fall short - not from a lack of effort, but because the core problem wasn’t clearly defined. In this piece, we explore why strong problem definition is the foundation of meaningful impact, and how failing to get it right can lead to beautifully delivered programs that ultimately miss the mark. From strategy and design to measurement and outcomes, we share insights and pitfalls to help teams build on solid ground.