Towards system change in mining? Rule maps for discussing sustainable futures

Abstract

There is an expected acceleration of some mining activities to supply the materials underpinning renewable and digital transitions. In this context, the question of what a sustainable mining system might look like is increasingly discussed. We outline a rules-based perspective from the Deep Transitions Lab focussed on assessing sociotechnical system change in mining. Based on our experience engaging with financial investors, we argue that a rule-based methodology can be an important tool to stimulate thinking about more radical change in the directionality of the mining system, helping shift conversations towards addressing persistent features of unsustainability that require system change interventions rather than optimisation. The rule mapping tool can challenge existing practices and stimulate imaginative thinking about what a sustainable mining system might look like.