New paper on Social Impact Assessment in global mining industry
Nick Bainton
Dear colleagues,
Sharing a new paper of relevance to this group.
Bainton, N. & Kung, A. (2026). The commercial determinants of social impact assessment in the global mining industry. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal.
As the push to develop critical minerals accelerates, Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is under growing pressure to manage social risks and support rapid project approvals.
We examine how the dominant company-commissioned, consultant-led model of SIA shapes practice and outcomes - and why it often limits SIA’s ability to serve the public interest. We argue these problems are structural, not simply matters of poor practice.
Access the paper here, or message me for a copy
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/QEKHIMCKDNMM2MHNBUWJ/full?target=10.1080/14615517.2025.2608435
best wishes,
Nick
Nick Bainton (he/him/his)
Professor and Director Higher Degree Research
School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)
ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy
The Australian National University