Session 7

11:30 – 13:00 / 25 June 2026   Kavaklıdere Ballroom

Sustainable Mining, ESG and the Social Licence to Operate in the Tethyan Belt

From legacy tailing dams and Aral Sea remediation to CBAM compliance and IFC Performance Standards, ESG is no longer a compliance burden but a prerequisite for access to international capital. This session examines environmental rehabilitation, water stewardship, community engagement, and how best-in-class ESG unlocks institutional financing across the region.

Key themes
  • Water stewardship as a competitive advantage: Central Asia’s escalating water stress and mining sector obligations.
  • Tailing management in a GISTM world: active monitoring, insurance implications, and Kazakhstan’s 2026–2028 Roadmap.
  • ESG as investment catalyst: how transparency frameworks (EITI, IRMA, Digital Product Passports) attract responsible capital.
  • Decarbonising Central Asian mining: low-carbon processing, green hydrogen readiness, and scope 3 reporting.
  • Post-mining remediation and circular economy: Armenia and Central Asia’s legacy tailing recovery potential.