Canadian mining multinationals in the Andean region: A study of environmental management systems (Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador)

Mining is one of the sectors attracting most attention from the viewpoint of sustainable development and the environment because of recent well-publicized spills that have caused a myriad of environmental and human health ramifications. In addressing increasing public concerns, Canadian mining multinationals operating in the Andean Region of Latin America have developed strategies for responding to new competitive pressures. Under the auspices of the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), member companies, have committed themselves to sustainable development which embodies protection of human health, the natural environment and the economy (MAC, 1996). It is the responsibility of mining companies, however, to transform this vision into practical action. Companies performing business in Andean countries, therefore, have implemented an environmental management system (EMS) in order to operationalize conceptual and practical processes.; Although the introduction and implementation of environmental management frameworks among mining companies constitutes an important strategy in terms of sustainable mining development, there remains a need for a more dynamic system: an environmental management system that integrates a set of essential EMS components into a Deming Cycle in a flexible manner.; Drawing upon current environmental management trends surrounding the mining sector in the Andean Region, this Master's Degree Project assessed EMS introduction and implementation among Canadian mining multinationals operating in the area. By emphasizing the principle of sustainability in strategic planning, the researcher developed an environmental management system model to guide mining multinationals operating or in the process of expanding their business to Andean countries. This model, however, might also be adapted to suit other similar scenarios.