Social license and the fear of Mineras Interruptus

This review article offers a critique of the social license concept, and of the debate surrounding it. In order to best understand what is meant by “social license”, one must look beyond its constituent terminology and instead examine the core drivers of contemporary mining practice. The working assumption inside the industry is that if disapproval becomes too intense there is a chance that members of the community will interrupt mining activities. This is what I refer to as 'the fear of Mineras Interruptus'. If there is any meaning to attribute to the term 'social license to operate' - it is to be found in the fear of losing access - because other factors relating to social performance or benefits are considered peripheral. The author argues that the mining industry's adoption and application of the concept should be viewed critically and not promoted on face value.