Sustainability issues becoming priority for governments – CEO, GCM

 The Chief Ex­ecutive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM), Dr Sulemanu­Koney, has stated that the Human Resources (HR) Departments of the mining companies must play leading roles in driving sustain­ability initiatives within the mining sector.

He said aside addressing work­force-related challenges, sustain­ability issues must occupy the attention of the HR departments of the mining companies.

Speaking at the GCM 6th Bi­ennial Conference on Human Re­sources Management in the min­ing industry, Dr Koney explained that sustainable mining practices were increasingly becoming a pri­ority for governments, communi­ties, and investors alike.

The two-day conference, be­ing attended by professionals of the human resources departments of the member companies of GCM, is on the theme ‘Navigating the New Normal: HR Innovations for Sustainable Mining.’

“As HR progress has grown, a unique position to influence the behaviors and mindsets of em­ployees is to align with sustainable goals. Whether it is through envi­ronmental stewardship, communi­ty engagements, or ethical labour practices, HR must be at the fore­front of integrating sustainability into the core values of mining operations,” he explained.

That, Dr Koney said, this would not only enhance mining industry’s reputation, but also ensure its long-term viability.

He reiterated that the role of HR in the mining sector was “more important today than ever before,” saying, “You are the custodians of our greatest assets, our people. The future and sus­tainability of our industry will be

 shaped by how well we monetise, embrace, change, and cultivate the culture of sustainable mining.”

Dr Koney further stated that HR professionals must be pro­active in up scaling and reskilling the workforce to prepare for the future, saying, “It is therefore essential that we develop talent strategies that are aligned with the future needs of our industry.”

The President of the GCM, Mr Edem Akafia, in his keynote address alsonsaid to help develop the critical talents and the neces­sary workforce for the mining sector, the GCM had support­ed the University of Mines and Technology in order to promote research that were critical to the growth of the mining sector.

He noted that considering the success of the programme, the GCM was funding the second phase of the programme in the next five years and had allocated $2 million for the programme