The Milos Declaration: Creating a Living Document by Deborah Shields, Colorado State University, USA and Zach Agioutantis, University of Kentucky, USA and Michael Karmis, Virginia Tech, USA and Per Martens, RTWH Aachen University, Germany

1. The Milos Declaration:
creating a living document
Deborah Shields, Colorado State University, USA
Zach Agioutantis, University of Kentucky, USA
Michael Karmis, Virginia Tech, USA
Per Martens, RTWH Aachen University, Germany

2. The Milos Declaration on Sustainability
• The Milos Declaration was introduced at the first SDIMI meeting held
on Milos island in 2003.
• This document laid out the contributions that the minerals
professional community can and should make to sustainable
development.
• The Declaration came the year after the Mining Minerals and
Sustainable Development project published its final report Breaking
New Ground, which described the minerals sector and its relationship
with concepts of sustainable development, and offered an Agenda for
Change for immediate and future actions. What it did not describe
was how to achieve the Agenda.

3. The Milos Declaration on Sustainability
• The Milos Declaration was groundbreaking in several ways.
• First, it was written at a point in history when, MMSD not
withstanding, many people in governments, academia, industry and
civil society questioned the idea that sustainability principles applied
to nonrenewable resources.
• Second, the role that the minerals industry and minerals professionals
should play in the achievement of a sustainable future was unclear.

4. What is SDIMI and how it all started?
• A collaboration of Virginia Tech (USA), the University of
Aachen (Germany), and the Technical University of Crete
(Greece) resulted in the first conference on “Sustainable
Development Indicators in the Minerals Industry” -- SDIMI
• The main objective of this series of conferences was (and is)
to assist the global minerals industries in their transition to
sustainable development.

5. SDIMI Evolves….
• In 2011, the conference series title was changed to “Sustainable
Development in the Minerals Industry” to allow for a broader
audience.
• The University of Queensland (AUS) and the University of British
Columbia (CA) later joined the group.
• SDIMI 2017 will be hosted by USTB in Beijing, China.

6. The First Conference
• The first conference, SDIMI 2003, was held in the island of Milos,
Greece and attracted 200 international attendees representing
industry, governmental organizations, associations, and research and
academic institutions.
• More than 70 papers were presented and discussed in 2 and ½ days
on Milos.
….why Milos, where is Milos?

7. Milos, Greece
Milos belongs to the Greek island complex of the “Cyclades” in the Aegean Sea.

8. Milos and its Minerals
• Milos was the result of volcanic eruptions on land and beneath the
sea, an activity which continued for hundreds of thousands of years.
• The volcanic heritage of Milos consists of a broad range of minerals
and rocks, such as obsidian, pumice, sulfur, alunite, kaolin, perlite,
bentonite, manganese, etc.
• Mining activities have been presented on Milos islands for thousands
of years.
• Historians estimate that exploitation of obsidian took place in Milos at
least since 7000 BC and Milian obsidian was found by archaeologists
in Greece, Egypt and Southern Europe.
• Today, over 1 million tonnes of industrial minerals are annually loaded
from the island (i.e., bentonite, perlite, pozzolanes).

9. Recent Mining Activities on Milos
The “Aggeria” bentonite mine
The old sulfur mines

10. The Milos Economy
• The economy in Milos is based on mining and tourism; actually these
activities complement each other.
• The community supports this (sustainable) symbiosis since mining is a
year-round economic activity, while tourism is a only seasonal activity
over the summer months.
• Services (including tourism) account approximately for 55% of the
domestic product of Milos, while mining accounts for over 30%.
• The island’s GDP per capita has been very high compared to the
regional GDP per capita in Greece, as a result of the co-existence of
both economic activities.
• Annual visitors (tourists) are estimated to be over 80,000 for an island
of about 5,000 inhabitants.

11. Sustainable Development Practices
The Milos Conference Center,
housed in a fully restored old
kaolin processing plant built in
1925, is a modern conference
center overlooking the gulf of
Milos and can hold up to 400
conference participants for each
event.
www.miloscenter.gr

12. Sustainable Development Practices
The Milos Mining Museum
was inaugurated in 1998,
and records about 10,000
visitors annually. The
museum showcases the
mining history and the
mineral wealth of Milos.
Milos was the perfect setting for the first SDIMI conference.
www.milosminingmuseum.com

13. SDIMI continues …
• SDIMI 2005, was held in Aachen, Germany, and was again a successful
forum in convening the minerals community engaged in sustainable
development, with particular emphasis on sustainability indicators, data
evaluation and reporting and life-cycle assessment and product
stewardship.
• SDIMI 2007 returned to Milos, Greece. The focus of the meeting was on
issues of benchmarking, SD value creation, operationalization of SD,
creation of knowledge hubs, modeling and fiscal issues and best practices
and tools.
• The meeting provided opportunities for presentations and panel discussions.
• The Conference was organized in three tracks representing a variety of stakeholders,
which can provide guidance and direction to the minerals community on the path to
sustainable development. Panel discussions were introduced.
• Representation of the social component of SD was definitely stronger than before.
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015

14. SDIMI continues …
• SDIMI 2009 was held in Brisbane, Australia. Topics included:
• Frameworks and tools for integrating SD into mine and plant design,
• Innovative methodologies for measuring SD performance at the
operational, corporate and industry level,
• SD challenges in emerging mining countries,
• Community impacts and benefits of mineral resource developments,
• Stewardship and the management of products and wastes,
• Advances in life cycle and sustainability assessment,
• Integration of sustainability thinking into professional education.
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015

15. SDIMI continues …
• SDIMI 2011 was held again in Aachen, Germany in the framework
of the AIMS conference.
• Organization was very successful and delegates from many countries
attended the event.
• A young professionals event attracted a lot of attention.
• SDIMI 2013 returned to Milos once more. It was the 6th
International Conference on the SDIMI series. The theme of the
conference was:
Milos+10: Incorporating Sustainability
into the Educational Process
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015

16. SDIMI 2015
• SDIMI 2015 was held in Vancouver Canada at the University of British
Columbia, this past July. The theme of the conference was Integrating
Economics, Community, Environment and Governance. Topics
included:
• Best practices & Sustainable mining practices, Technological
developments, Sustainable land use & Raw materials supply issues,
Life cycle assessment, Social contributions & Environmental
performance, Mineral resources policy, Sustainability in oil and gas
development, Certification, evaluation & auditing, Nature
conservation & Climate change, Emerging economies, Health &
Safety, Risk management, Capacity building & Human resources Local
communities & Good governance, Sustainability in Minerals
Education, Sustainability reporting.

17. SDIMI 2015
• A number of panel discussions where also held:
• Is Mining Broken: Social, Economic and Environmental Challenges and
Engineering Solutions
• Social License to Operate
• First Nations
• A Session on Milos+12 was also held

18. Our Vision
To make SDIMI a global forum and contribute
to sustainable mining practices

19. The Milos Declaration on Sustainability
• This document laid out the contributions of the minerals professional
community to sustainable development, stating that
the engineers, scientists, technical experts, and academics
who work in, consult for, educate, study, or are in some
other manner associated with the minerals industry, share
a mutual responsibility with all individuals to ensure that
our actions meet the needs of today without compromising
the ability of future generations to satisfy their own needs.

20. The Milos
Declaration

21. Endorsements
• The American Society of Mining and Reclamation
• The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
• The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
• The European Federation of Geologists
• The Iberoamerican Association of Mining Education
• The Institute of Geologists of Ireland
• The Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers
• The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration
• The (German) Society for Mining, Metallurgy, Resource and
Environmental Technology
• The Society of Mining Professors
• The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
• The Spanish Association of Mining Engineers

22. What we believe:
• The process of civilization is one of advancing intellectual, social, and cultural
development for all of humankind. An important aspect of the history of
civilization is the scientific discoveries and technological advancements that
transform raw materials into resources, thus providing the means for increased
human well-being. The benefits and services derived from minerals, metals, and
fuels can contribute to the achievement of a sustainable future because the
inherent characteristics of these resources make productivity and consumption
gains possible.
• Achieving a balance among economic prosperity, environmental health, and
social equity will require significant changes in business strategies, operating
technologies, personal behaviors, and public policies. Minerals professionals can
engage with communities of interest in the process of improving quality of life by
helping to balance the need for minerals, metals, and fuels against the need to
protect the environment and society from unnecessary adverse impacts.

23. Our vision for the future:
• Our minerals community will contribute to a sustainable
future through the use of our scientific, technical,
educational, and research skills in minerals, metals, and
fuels.
SDIMI 2015 Vancouver, BC, CA July 13 - 15, 2015

24. What needs to be done to achieve our vision:
• Professional Responsibility
• Education, Training, and Development
• Communication
SDIMI 2015 Vancouver, BC, CA July 13 - 15, 2015

25. Milos +10
• The minerals community has further integrated SD concepts, best-practices
and stakeholders participation into the mining process, demonstrating
higher professional responsibility. In most cases:
• Planners and operators are much more sensitive and actively pursue best-practices;
• SD reporting follows set guidelines;
• Corporate Social Responsibility goes beyond compliance – the Milos example;
• The minerals community is much less tolerant to “sloppy” operators
• Capacity building (education, and re-education; training and re-training)
was and remains a great challenge for the mining professionals
• Much progress is noted on the capacity building front, but there is still a lot of work
to be done, both at the educational level for newcomers into the minerals industry,
but also, and most importantly, at stakeholders in companies and government

26. Milos +10
• Communication paths and message quality between stakeholders (in
many aspect also tied to capacity building) need to be further
enhanced.
• An obvious path or conclusion for a stakeholder group may not be obvious to
the other group.
• Communication channels should always remain open, even under severe
conflict conditions

27. Milos +12
• Twelve years after the Milos Declaration on Sustainability was
published, its vision and goals remain very much aligned with today’s
sustainable mining practices. It has been widely distributed and
shared in many fora, including at the United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development (ICSU and WFEO, 2009).

28. What has Changed
• In the 12 years since the first SDIMI conference the minerals
community has integrated sustainable development concepts, best-
practices and stakeholders participation into the mining process,
demonstrating higher professional responsibility.

29. What has Changed, cont’d
1. Stakeholders
2. Capacity building
3. Partnerships
4. Risk assessment (characterization, management and allocation)
5. Community well-being
6. Community health
7. Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
8. Embedding SD throughout the company

30. What has Changed, cont’d
9. Resource efficiency
10. Reduce, reuse, recycle, substitute
11. Critical materials, including rare earths
12. Value creation and Shared value
13. Renewed recognition in developed nations of the importance of
domestic raw materials extraction and processing
14. Synergies between organizations working on mining such as the
SME and the Society of Mining Professors

31. The Milos Declaration is a Living Document
• It is time to reconsider whether and how we can extend the Milos
Declaration to reflect the current state of knowledge and practice, but
also identify areas where advances in sustainable mining practice are
needed.

32. Input for SDIMI participants
• Embed sustainability into all aspects of the business, i.e. including
peripheral pieces such as supply chain, raising capital, marketing
• Mitigate boom or bust in social and environmental issues; develop a
broader base of informed knowledge;
• Harmonize standards and practices;
• There is a need for industry engagement;
• Professional Responsibility
• Education, Training, and Development
• Communication
What Needs to be Done

33. Input for SDIMI participants
• Enforce environmental protection, post closure land sustainability
during the operational phase to avoid long term legacies
• Support efforts to develop expertise to the communities, technical
support groups for communities
• Train community members to do the post closure monitoring and
rehabilitation
• Aim for continuous improvement
• Professional Responsibility
• Education, Training, and Development
• Communication
What Needs to be Done

34. Input for SDIMI participants
• Encourage people to participate in activities that meet the UN SDGs
• Engage and build up relationships (not transactions)
• Encourage multidisciplinary approaches, including adaptive
management
• Professional Responsibility
• Education, Training, and Development
• Communication
What Needs to be Done

35. Conclusions
• Engineers needs to participate and support in:
• Integrated project management and reporting that includes taking
multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving
• Practicing sustainable supply chain management
• Mining as an integral component of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
achievements where mining is part of the circular economy
• Building relationships with all partners
• There is a structural shift within the industry, and the notion of social
contract is prevalent (Ian Thompson, SDIMI 2015)
• The Milos Declaration will be extended to include current issues

36. Thank you