SLR Consulting is an international environmental and advisory consultancy that provides expertise in sectors such as energy, mining, waste management, and infrastructure to help clients manage their environmental and sustainability challenges.
Bradley, how would you describe your first year as the CEO of SLR Consulting?
My first year as CEO has been fantastic. I joined SLR for three primary reasons: the company's culture, its client-focused approach, and the collaborative spirit that spans across the globe. Additionally, SLR is growing in sectors I am passionate about, particularly mining, which is a field I have worked in for most of my career. Being part of a company that is expanding in this space on a global scale was crucial for me.
What is the number one sustainability challenge mining companies face today?
When I meet with clients, I always start by clarifying what sustainability means to SLR. It is not just about the environment or carbon emissions. For us, sustainability is about balancing environmental, social, and economic factors. Imagine these three pillars as legs of a stool—if one is weak or neglected, the stool will not stand. Decisions purely based on economics or environmental concerns, without considering societal impacts, are not sustainable. This balance is essential for mining companies, as they often face scrutiny over greenwashing or virtue signaling, both of which erode trust.
The core challenge for mining executives is deciding where to allocate resources—ensuring that investments in sustainability, such as ESG initiatives, reduce risks, enhance performance, and offer returns both now and in the future. In addition, the current geopolitical landscape, fluctuating commodity prices, and shifting regulatory environments make decision-making even more complex. It is a tough time to lead in mining, and executives must make choices that they can stand by for years to come.
Can you share specific examples of how SLR helps clients address these challenges?
We generally assist clients in three key areas. At the core of our clients’ business, operational risk management is crucial. For example, we focus on ensuring the safety and robustness of the design, operation and governance of tailings facilities, which, if not handled properly, can pose significant threats to both the environment and local communities. Monitoring and protecting water resources around mining projects are also central to what we do.
On the front end, when helping clients develop and design their facilities, we prioritize integrating sustainability into the core processes, ensuring that eventual closure is embedded in the investment phases. This can include transitioning to hydrogen instead of diesel, electrifying equipment, and adopting more sustainable practices such as dry tailing stacks, which reduce long-term environmental and financial costs as well as embracing the realities of climate change. Lastly, we assist throughout the construction phase, helping with permitting and ensuring social buy-in, particularly when working closely with local and artisanal miners in regions like Africa, ensuring ethical practices and community alignment.
Would you support the creation of an internationally recognized standard for responsible mining?
I believe there should be agreed-upon standards within the mining industry, though we will always have to align with local regulations and government requirements. Different types of mines, like gold and iron ore, operate under unique circumstances and geographies, making a universal standard challenging to enforce. However, it is essential that the industry holds itself accountable to both minimum and best practices. Our work means we regularly conduct audits to a number of mining-specific standards, of which there are many, including ‘CopperMark’, ‘Towards Sustainable Mining’ and ‘Better Mining’. SLR as a whole assists through reporting and disclosure including to GRI and SASB requirements.
Rather than a heavy-handed regulatory approach, I favor establishing guidelines that leverage collective knowledge from engineers, scientists, and industry leaders. By working together to raise the bar on responsible mining practices, we can make substantial and continual progress without burdening companies with overly rigid rules.
Does the mining industry struggle to improve its reputation?
Absolutely. We encounter this challenge frequently, particularly in mining and energy sectors. A key part of addressing reputation issues is transparency. We work closely with clients to clearly define and communicate their sustainability efforts, such as reducing water usage or carbon footprints. The goal is to present measurable, scientifically backed data rather than relying on vague "black box" metrics.
For example, when we track the supply chain of a material like cobalt, we trace its journey from a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the refinery process, all the way to an electric vehicle in California. This level of transparency and traceability builds trust, allowing our clients to present clear evidence of their responsible practices.
How can the mining industry bring back institutional investors, who have largely abandoned it due to ESG concerns?
Capital drives everything, and the world needs resources not only to survive, but to foster our partnership with the planet—whether that is energy, water, minerals, or metals. So, despite ESG concerns, the notion that mining is no longer a viable investment is false. The question is not whether we need mining but how we can conduct mining in a way that mitigates or offsets environmental, social, and governance risks while delivering returns to investors.
Investors need to feel confident that their capital is being used responsibly, whether that is through environmental protection, economic viability, or social impact. Mining companies must address ESG risks just as rigorously as they do commodity or geopolitical risks, demonstrating transparency in how their funds are used. Smart investors, especially those focused on ESG and Development Finance Institutions will recognize the necessity of industries like mining for the energy transition and other societal needs and will invest accordingly if companies address these risks head-on.
Do you assist your clients in addressing the challenge of attracting young skilled labor to the mining industry?
Yes, we do.
At SLR, we hire hundreds of graduates every year because we have some of the smartest scientists, engineers, and economists working with us. Young professionals are eager to take on the big challenges of our time. I frequently speak at universities and emphasize that the world does not need another app or food delivery service; what we need is clean energy, materials, and resources. For those who want to make a real impact, especially in the mining sector, this is the field to be in.
Mining offers young people a global community and the opportunity to travel and work all over the world. It is an adventurous and fulfilling career, where individuals can really make a difference, and we need to do a better job promoting that. At SLR, when we bring young talent on board, they get to work on various projects, from energy transition to sustainability finance, but they also get exposure to mining. Often, they fall in love with the industry and stay.
When you ask students to imagine a mine, they often picture something from the 1960s – dirty, laborious and unsafe. However, modern mining is completely different—it looks more like something out of a science fiction movie, with advanced robotics, clean environments, and sophisticated technology. Today’s mining industry is far removed from the stereotypical image of dirty, outdated operations. It is clean, highly technical, data-driven, and cares about society and the environment; and that surprises many people when they see it.
Where would you like to see SLR Consulting in terms of its impact on the mining industry in the future?
I would like SLR Consulting to be known as the trusted advisor for the mining industry globally. Whether companies are operating in Latin America, Africa, Canada, or Australia, we want to be the go-to partner. We bring not only local experience but also global insights from our work across various sectors, such as oil and gas, renewables, and chemicals. This cross-industry expertise allows us to offer clients innovative solutions that might be applied in one sector and adapted to another, such as mining.
One of our main goals is to help mining companies secure the investment they need by showing that sustainable strategies are more than just about compliance but about smart corporate growth. We combine strategic advice with deep technical knowledge, ensuring that sustainability initiatives align with a company’s broader corporate goals. With our data capabilities, such as climate modeling for mines over the next 30 years, we can help clients make informed decisions that lead to both financial success and sustainability.
