Global demand for extractive resources is rising, threatening cultural and natural heritage in resource-rich areas. For instance, 2024 data revealed that 57.8% of Australia’s critical mineral projects are on Indigenous lands, rising to 79.2% with pending claims. The materials sector must implement heritage management strategies, including co-management with local communities, especially in Indigenous regions or areas with limited government capacity. These actions are essential to achieve SDG 11.4 (Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage).
Global focus
Balancing extraction activities with heritage
Addressing challenges to SDG 11.4 in the materials sector
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Materials (all industries)
AT A GLANCE
Rising resource demands heighten risks to cultural and natural heritage, requiring urgent action.
Co-management and site repurposing offer practical solutions to extraction challenges and align with SDG 11.4.
Addressing data gaps and improving private sector transparency are key to ensuring sustainable heritage funding.
Risks to heritage
The materials sector faces environmental and social risks that threaten heritage sites. Mining activities pose risks like water contamination, seismic instability, and habitat destruction, as highlighted in industry studies. For example, Rio Tinto incorporates cultural heritage surveys to prevent harm during project development. Such efforts align with frameworks like the UK Forestry Standard, which advocates proactive risk management to mitigate extraction-related impacts.
Importance of co-management
Co-management integrates local and Indigenous knowledge with scientific methods, which is crucial for preserving heritage sites in resource-rich areas. UNESCO’s Stone for Development blends traditional expertise with modern practices, ensuring sustainable stone extraction that protects cultural heritage. Mining companies like BHP also adopt accountability measures through cultural heritage agreements with Indigenous communities in their operations, ensuring a shared commitment to responsible resource extraction.
Sustainable site repurposing
Post-extraction sites can support SDGs through repurposing for renewable energy, tourism and agriculture. Vale transformed former mining sites into conservation areas, protecting endangered species, while the European Route of Industrial Heritage initiative revitalised mining areas into cultural and economic hubs. These initiatives could contribute to SDG target 11.4 which calls on efforts to protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage.
Enhancing transparency
The materials sector can enhance transparency by adopting comprehensive reporting practices aligned with SDG Indicator 11.4.1, which tracks per capita heritage spending by funding source, heritage type, and government level. Private sector reporting remains inconsistent, limiting the sector's assessment ability. COVID-19 disruptions exposed the need for standardised processes. Clear metrics and integration into sustainability reports improve transparency and accountability, and support investment in sustainable heritage funding.
FURTHER READING
- How can mining contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals? (UN)
- Mining and the SDGs: 2020 (Responsible Mining Foundation & Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment)
- SDG 11.4.1 indicator methodology (UN)