Every year, KPMG asks mining executives about the state of their industry, key trends, and their expectations for their organizations. This year, the survey has been expanded to capture key global market trends, backed by responses from over 130 executives and industry highlights from Canada, Australia, Brazil and South Africa.

The survey was conducted during a year of growing uncertainty combined with strong growth potential for the mining industry. Of course, the recent disaster at Brumadinho in Brazil is the most sobering example of how dynamic and catastrophic risks can become reality. Many of the risks and opportunities we discuss in this report are interrelated and none more so than those impacting the obligation to safely conduct enterprise. The entire sector feels an event such as Brumadinho as industry participants reflect on the devastating impact it has on so many lives.

Certainly there is a greater appetite for miners to collaborate as the industry faces an ever increasing rate of change in risks as well as expectations from many different stakeholders on key aspects of safety, community and the environment.

Authors: Trevor Hart, Caron Cobarg-Sugars, Ricardo Marques, Heather Cheeseman and Coenie Basson.