Beyond the exclusion list: Can mining be a responsible investment?

The role of mining in responsible portfolios is one of the most common and contentious questions advisers face. Many clients arrive with a default assumption that mining companies are ‘bad’ and should be excluded from responsible portfolios, driven by well‑documented concerns around environmental damage, community impact and corporate behaviour. Yet the transition to renewable energy and decarbonisation depends on materials such as copper, lithium and cobalt, creating a more complex reality than blanket exclusion allows. This panel brings together fund managers with clear, defensible approaches to mining exposure to examine how they assess different commodities, what standards mining companies must meet to be investable, and how managers respond when those standards are no longer met. The session equips advisers to confidently address client questions, whether clients are seeking mining exposure, exclusion, or a more nuanced responsible investment approach.