Scales of Benefit: Political Leverage in the Negotiation of Corporate Social Responsibility in Mineral Exploration and Mining in Rural British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore the increasingly dynamic relationships between government policy, private corporate social responsibility (CSR), and local efforts to secure benefit from mineral exploration and mining activity in northern British Columbia. We propose that senior levels of government are integrating private-sector CSR into rural development policy as part of the ongoing process of neoliberalizing resource development. Our research reveals the uneven application of CSR practices by mineral exploration and mining companies to communities in northwestern British Columbia. Companies are selectively applying CSR principles to communities that have political leverage to impact project development. In the absence of jurisdictional control over mineral development, local governments must find methods to compete with neighboring communities to attract secondary benefits from resource development occurring within the region.

Keywords:

• aboriginal communities
• Canada
• corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• jurisdiction
• local government
• mining
• rural development

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.