At the very beginning of our project, we would like to introduce you to the main principles of the Social Licence to Operate and its importance in mitigating the current challenges that arise in the European critical raw materials sector, endangering its long-lasting sustainability.

Social Licence to Operate (SLO) is the ongoing acceptance or approval that organisations, industries and companies receive from communities and stakeholders regarding their standard business practices and operating procedures.

SLO is created and maintained slowly over time, as a company builds trust of the community it operates in. Building a social licence involves long-term relationship building with stakeholders, through open dialogue, transparency, responsiveness to concerns, and a visible commitment to fairness and sustainability as the key elements. Trust is earned gradually and must be maintained through consistent behaviour and engagement.

SLO finds its base in the “triple bottom line”, which implies that a company’s performance should be measured equally on social issues, environmental goals and corporate profits. These three aspects are essentially important to be achieved in the mining industry, as one of the leading pillars of European sustainability in the critical raw materials supply chain, which is crucial regarding Europe’s current dependence on the other continents. Obtaining #SLO in the mining industry is essential for ensuring long-term prosperity and common trust in this sector, but also for the overall progress of the continent.

There comes our RM SLO PLUS project, which will bridge the gap between mining and community by helping companies and stakeholders in managing the risks and challenges in their operations. Together we will create a hub for connecting people and mining for Europe’s sustainable future!