The world's top mining companies have an important story to tell. They are helping feed the world while lighting the way to a low-carbon future and providing materials for infrastructure development and consumer demand. They are a force for food, critical to life in the 21st century as we know it. Yet this tale remains largely obscured, hidden from the view of public and even investors. The industry is often accused of lacking transparency, and it could certainly be more open about its impacts.
To tell their story, mining companies need to be innovative about the way they measure their impacts - good and bad. It provides investors with a useful gauge that goes beyound their returns. Capital allication decisions can be directed where they will have maximum impact and viewed through the prism of a broader lens. And other stakeholders - communities, unions and the wider public - can be more informed about their views of the industry.