Imagine a thriving and profitable North American mining and minerals industry? An industry that was respected for its:

• contribution to people and to the environment;
• capacity to care for the long term while performing effectively now;
• technical innovation and cultural sensitivity; and
• way of engaging implicated individuals and communities.

Beginning the spring of 2001, Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development North America examined ways of moving the industry in the direction of sustainable development. Towards Change, MMSD – North America's final report, was released on September 17, 2002. It offered 10 recommendations to encourage this shift:

The Legacy Issue

1. Expand efforts to deal with what's left from the past.

2. Strengthen rules, incentives and programs to prevent the same from happening in the future.

Improving Practices

3. Pilot test the "Seven Questions to Sustainability" assessment framework.

4. Build more effective ways to encourage success and discourage bad practices.

5. Improve mechanisms to prevent and resolve disputes.

6. Encourage recycling while maintaining safety: adjust the rules and systems for designating and controlling recyclable material and hazardous waste.

7. Build a capacity to address the equity issue.

8. Adjust the current financial/business/economic model to better address full social and environmental considerations.

Enhancing Capacity

9. Strengthen the learning and research support system.

Follow-up

10. Facilitate and report on MMSD – North America outcomes.

For each recommendation, the final report details the underlying issues, specific actions needed, leadership, timelines and the costs of inaction.