What Gives You a Social Licence? An Exploration of the Social Licence to Operate in the Australian Mining Industry

摘要: This article analyses the ways in which major, multinational mining companies operating within Australia understand sustainable development and articulate their “social licence to operate”. The contributes a novel perspective ongoing discussions about social by exploring leading Australian define assert licences through discourse. A content discourse analysis of 18 sustainability reports across four year period, supplemented qualitative interview data, draws out these issues. While most use confirm beliefs necessity licence, is specifically defined maintained are not generally made explicit. Additionally, key theoretical criteria required for such as free, prior informed consent, appear be overlooked. In conclusion, suggests industry could more clearly raises consequent questions shape future research.