TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental improvement initiatives in the coal mining industry
T2 - Maximisation of the triple bottom line
AU - Laing, Timothy
AU - Upadhyay, Arvind
AU - Mohan, Sushil
AU - Subramanian, Nachiappan
PY - 2019/5/10
Y1 - 2019/5/10
N2 - Mining is an economically important industry, which faces several environmental and social challenges. Other than operational improvement activities, mining companies are increasingly paying attention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and maximise social welfare to satisfy multiple stakeholders and the rise of corporate social responsible initiatives. Based on a case study analysis of coal mining companies we develop a triple bottom line (TBL) initiatives framework that provides a starting point for mining companies to develop a strategic approach to environmental improvement initiatives that can positively impact all elements of the TBL. We highlight four types of process and offset-based initiatives that are available to mining companies to reduce their GHGs, each having differential effects on elements of the TBL. Our findings suggest the importance of company-wide strategies of looking at initiatives through all rather than individual elements of the TBL. Such a strategy would provide an appropriate estimate of the costs and benefits of the initiatives and results in a balanced approach that takes care of operational improvement, reduces GHGs and improves the social welfare of people engaged in mining operations and wider society.
AB - Mining is an economically important industry, which faces several environmental and social challenges. Other than operational improvement activities, mining companies are increasingly paying attention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and maximise social welfare to satisfy multiple stakeholders and the rise of corporate social responsible initiatives. Based on a case study analysis of coal mining companies we develop a triple bottom line (TBL) initiatives framework that provides a starting point for mining companies to develop a strategic approach to environmental improvement initiatives that can positively impact all elements of the TBL. We highlight four types of process and offset-based initiatives that are available to mining companies to reduce their GHGs, each having differential effects on elements of the TBL. Our findings suggest the importance of company-wide strategies of looking at initiatives through all rather than individual elements of the TBL. Such a strategy would provide an appropriate estimate of the costs and benefits of the initiatives and results in a balanced approach that takes care of operational improvement, reduces GHGs and improves the social welfare of people engaged in mining operations and wider society.
KW - Operational improvement
KW - Triple Bottom Line
KW - Coal mining
KW - Greenhouse gas emissions
KW - Social welfare
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065740656&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09537287.2018.1501813
DO - 10.1080/09537287.2018.1501813
M3 - Article
SN - 0953-7287
VL - 30
SP - 426
EP - 436
JO - Production Planning & Control: The Management of Operations
JF - Production Planning & Control: The Management of Operations
IS - 5-6
ER -