Sweden, like the Philippines, is among the most mineral-rich countries in the world. It has a long history of mining that stretches for more than a millennium. The country is currently the European Union’s (EU) leading ore and metal producer.
According to Business Sweden, the Scandinavian country covers part of the Fennoscandian Shield together with Norway and Finland, a mineral-rich but highly underexplored region. The bedrock is similar to the Canadian, Australian, Brazilian and South African bedrocks. Active mines are in the three main mining regions in Sweden: Norrbotten and the Skellefteå field in the northern part of the country, and in the central parts near the Bergslagen region.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Sweden had about 250 mines, but today, it has 12 active metal mines with twice as much production output. Many Swedish engineering companies have their origins in the mining industry and are today world leaders in mining equipment and mining technology. Brands like Volvo, Sandvik, and Epiroc come to mind.
It is for this reason, perhaps, that Team Sweden — collectively, the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden — reached out to the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) with the intent to hold a business forum on sustainable or responsible mining, to gather public and private industry experts with the goal to share knowhow and experience in innovative and sustainable mining practices, fostering a positive socio-economic impact while minimizing environmental footprint.
Originally, the forum was to coincide with the National Day of Sweden, but because there were other activities lined up, such as the visit of the Swedish Defense Minister, then the forum had to be moved to a more suitable date. This did not dampen, however, interest and participation in the event.
And so, it came to pass that the business forum, aptly titled “Pioneering the Green Transition: Advancing Sustainable Mining,” was held in Metro Manila, graced by no less than the presence of Swedish Ambassador Annika Thunborg and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.
Also in active attendance were Emil Akander, vice president for Business Sweden, and Cecilia Ekholm, ambassador for Sustainable Business of the Swedish government, who shared her country’s approach to sustainable mining and her country’s mining ecosystem.
Sweden’s “Mining with Nature” is their mining and mineral industry’s roadmap for increased biodiversity. In it, a common goal is defined that by 2030 they will be able to contribute to a biodiversity net gain in all regions where mining and minerals operations and prospecting take place.
Ambassador Ekholm said Sweden welcomes a partnership with the Philippines on sustainable mining. She said that this is not just Sweden’s problem, but a global problem and that we all need to work in the green transition, and that we all need a partner to do that. She also mentioned that they were looking forward to the collaboration between the two countries.
Ambassador Annika Thunborg, on the other hand, noted that mining is a pivotal industry that supports many sectors. According to her, “Mining… is key to sustaining the global action in reducing greenhouse gas emissions wherein electrification has been identified as one of the solutions. The availability of metals and minerals remains crucial today as economies commit to meet internationally agreed climate goals.”
For her part, Secretary Loyzaga said that the Philippines can learn from Sweden’s long history and experience in promoting scientific advancement, transparency, accountability, and sustainability in the mining sector.
“We must leverage our natural wealth responsibly and equitably, while ensuring that the socio-economic benefits of mining extend to all Filipinos, especially to the communities that host mining operations,” she said.
Secretary Loyzaga likewise called on the mining industry to “rethink, invent, and innovate” the ways it develops the country’s natural resources even as it must evolve to align with the principles of sustainability, stewardship and resilience.
“Our nation is at a pivotal juncture where the need to balance economic growth with environmental protection has never been more pressing,” she emphasized. She added that while climate change has increased the complexity of risk across different scales and sectors, it also now represents opportunities for reform in this particular sector and industry.
Indeed, and as I mentioned in the business forum, responsible mining is a balancing act of extracting the minerals that are critical for energy transition while, at the same time, mitigating the effects of a tremendous amount of energy and other impacts to the environment required to extract those minerals.