The Iberian Sustanable Mining Cluster (ISMC) held the Multisector Dialogue Conference on Social Acceptance in the Raw Materials Sector on 17 December in Madrid. The event brought together representatives from European institutions, public administrations, companies and experts to analyse the main challenges related to the social perception of mining and to advance towards a more sustainable, transparent and socially aligned raw materials value chain.

The conference became a key space for reflection and debate in a context marked by the growing strategic relevance of critical raw materials and the need to integrate the social dimension as a core pillar of mining development in Europe.

Institutional opening and ISMC’s role as a platform for dialogue

The event was opened by Patricia Núñez, Institutional and Business Relations Coordinator at ISMC, and Laura Quijano, Technical and Operations Coordinator of the cluster. Both highlighted the importance of creating multisector dialogue spaces to move towards responsible and socially accepted mining.

They also underlined ISMC’s role as a connecting platform between public, private and social stakeholders, capable of articulating diverse perspectives and promoting shared solutions around social acceptance in the raw materials sector.

EU–Ibero-America cooperation and the new international mining agenda

The first session focused on EU–Ibero-American cooperation and the new international mining agenda. It opened with a keynote speech by Anna Armengol Torio, Economic Counsellor at the Representation of the European Commission in Spain, who presented the main pillars of the new RESOURCE EU plan, emphasising the need to strengthen international partnerships to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials.

This was followed by Julián Conthe, Director General for Trade Policy and Economic Security at the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, who addressed Spain’s role in building a sustainable strategic autonomy, highlighting Ibero-America as a key axis for strengthening European raw materials value chains.

In turn, Gracia Olivenza, Secretary General of the Association of Ibero-American Geological and Mining Services (ASGMI), focused on geoscientific cooperation between Europe and Ibero-America, stressing the value of shared geological knowledge and institutional collaboration as essential tools for a strategic and sustainable supply of raw materials.

The session concluded with an expert panel featuring María Lahore, Senior Executive at the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), who analysed the role of multilateral financing in sustainable mining projects, and Miguel Picardo, Managing Partner and Head of the Energy Practice at Ackermann, who provided a business perspective on the regulatory, social and economic challenges facing the sector.

ublic perception and Social Licence to Operate in Europe

The second session focused on public perception and the Social Licence to Operate (SLO) in Europe. Alicia García, Communication Manager and Senior European Projects Officer at ISMC, presented the conceptual framework of the Social Licence to Operate within the raw materials value chain, developed under the European project RM SLO PLUS+ Hub, funded by EIT RawMaterials.

She highlighted the importance of integrating the social dimension from the earliest stages of projects as a key factor in building trust and reducing conflict at territorial level.

This was followed by an intervention from Lucía Núñez, Territorial Delegate of the Regional Government of Andalusia in Huelva, who presented the case of Huelva as a strategic mining territory, emphasising the role of public administrations in promoting sustainable mining aligned with territorial development.

Practical cases and experiences of dialogue with territories

The practical case session included contributions from Juan José Fernández Garrido, Mayor of Aznalcóllar, and Rafael Cano, Operations Director at Minera Los Frailes. They shared an example of collaboration between public administration and industry as a successful approach to building trust and fostering dialogue with local communities.

Subsequently, Bárbara Gómez Delgado, Mine Manager at Pan Global Resources, addressed the relevance of social commitment during the exploration phase, stressing the need for early, transparent and continuous communication with local communities.

The session concluded with a presentation by Lucía Camporro, Project Manager at Rheinmetall Expal Munitions and President of the association Minería es +, who analysed the role of social media and digital communication in building and strengthening the Social Licence to Operate.

The social dialogue panel, moderated by José Luis Seco de Herrera, Technical Advisor in Mining Engineering at the Regional Government of Andalusia and director of the podcast El Filón, enabled an open and constructive debate among the different stakeholders involved.

Social acceptance as a strategic pillar for the future of the sector

The conference concluded with an interactive session on social perception and a networking lunch, encouraging the exchange of experiences and the creation of new synergies.

ISMC underlined that social acceptance is a strategic element for the future of the raw materials sector, and that only through dialogue, cooperation and active territorial engagement will it be possible to move towards sustainable, responsible and socially aligned mining.