Kevin D’Souza brings decades of experience in ESG, permitting, and community engagement to his evaluation of sustainability in the mining industry today.
Throughout his time in the industry, D’Souza has advised mining companies, NGOs, and investor groups on navigating permitting challenges, community relations, and environmental risk, while also serving on the advisory boards for organisations including International Women in Mining, the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030, and the World Gold Council ESG Taskforce.
Mining.com.au caught up with D’Souza at PDAC 2026 to catch up about the current state of the industry, and where he sees the sustainability focus moving.
D’Souza is forthright about the current disconnect he sees in the industry, arguing that mining companies are drowning in ESG metrics and compliance exercises, but are often losing sight of what really matters.
“We’re trying to measure everything, but we don’t know what for,” D’Souza says.
ESG ratings are more about optics these days than performance, leaving companies spending heavily on consultants and software while neglecting the science and site-level engagement that actually builds credibility.
D’Souza says that the industry needs to return to fundamentals, which are building trust and credibility with communities.
“Everyone’s still talking about social license, which is important, but it’s not building trust,” D’Souza says.
Instead of focusing on endless reporting, he believes miners should focus on practical engagement at the site level, strengthening relationships and earning legitimacy through action rather than paperwork.
Within the junior space, D’Souza sees more genuine efforts being made, but warns that some of the larger players are hiding behind “optical” ESG exercises.
Looking ahead, D’Souza would like to see an industry where sustainability is inseparable from enterprise risk. Climate change, ESG pressures, and social license are not external burdens, but core business risks.
The future of mining lies in embedding sustainability into the core of operations, not just into paperwork.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash
