Tiainen Heidi

In 2009, Greenland received greater autonomy from Denmark and the right to elect government and parliament, the former gaining sovereignty and administration over a number of areas including mineral resources. Since then, the development of mining industry has been forcefully promoted by Greenland’s self-government. The political discourse of decision-makers has stressed the importance of sustainability in developing the mining industry, and in particular the social component of sustainability. This article analyses the social sustainability approach of national mining policy and the rapidly evolving governance for mining in Greenland.