A Study on the Cooperate Social Responsibility of Mining Companies towards the Environment: A Case Study of Sierra Rutile Mining Company

There is an ongoing debate on the relevance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its ability to provide visible development. This study pays close attention to Sierra Rutile Mining Company, because like many other African nations, the inhabitants dwelling around mining companies stays very close to these mining companies; therefore, there should be effective corporate social responsibility plans for these inhabitants. By assessing the current and anticipated future socio-economic and environmental impacts, a company can maximise the positive impacts they can have on a community, whilst minimising any negative impacts. In Sierra Rutile the findings show that the mining industry represents relatively high level of social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility helps in improving the quality of life of the workers and the children of the workers, the community and society as a whole. There is an agreement between Sierra Rutile and the chiefdom that the company exists; the study found out at communities’ levels that the company has been responsive to their host community to some extent, by contributing to socioeconomic development at certain level through the use of CSR policies. Their contributions included jobs creation and employees’ upgrading and; infrastructural development such as, constructions of housing, schools, clinics, feeder roads and; offer scholarships to school going youths, and support agribusiness in the various communities from the mineral proceeds. On the environment, the study revealed that the company has set up to handle environmental issues in chiefdom. And, there have been some amount of compensation given for resettlements and crops reparations. It came out very clear that the community stakeholders are decision makers directly involved on decisions affecting major environmental issues.

Keywords: Cooperate Social Responsibility, Mining, Environment, Sierra Rutile, Community.