| Since China announced to the world "strive to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060",the "dual carbon" goal is reversing China’s economic development towards a green and low-carbon direction,and has had a profound impact on the operation and management mode of Chinese enterprises.The proposal of the "dual carbon" goal has also raised the popularity of ESG to a new level.Enterprise ESG information disclosure is the main way for outsiders to understand the performance of corporate environmental,social,and governance information.Studying ESG information disclosure is conducive to rational decision-making by stakeholders and the construction of national sustainable development.Vigorously developing new energy is the direction of China’s energy system transformation,and the prevalence of new energy enterprises has further stimulated their demand for mineral resources.The ESG risks of new energy enterprises mainly originate from the ESG risks transmitted from the upstream supply chain mining industry.For example,BYD,a new energy vehicle company,needs a large amount of lithium,cobalt,nickel,and other metals in the future process of 100% transformation of global automobiles to electric vehicles.The massive demand for mineral resources in these new energy industries also forces us to focus on ESG risks and controls in the mining industry.Therefore,focusing on ESG information disclosure in the mining industry can better grasp ESG risks at the source of the value chain,and can also promote the realization of the net zero emission goal of the entire value chain,achieving the goal of rectifying the source.Therefore,it is particularly necessary to study the ESG information disclosure framework system of listed mining companies.The current ESG framework systems issued by authoritative institutions in China,such as the "Guidelines for China’s Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting(CASS-ESG 5.0)" issued by the National Academy of Social Sciences in July 2022 and the "Guidelines for Enterprise ESG Disclosure" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission in June 2022,are applicable to enterprises of various industries,types,and sizes,and have the advantages of wide applicability and universality,However,there are also shortcomings that make it difficult to take into account industry characteristics.Currently,there is a widespread phenomenon of low ESG ratings among Chinese enterprises in international agencies.Whether the ESG management of Chinese enterprises is indeed poor or whether the international ESG system does not match the characteristics of Chinese enterprises is still worth investigating.The international community is gradually improving and introducing ESG industry standards,and China should also step up its steps to promote the refinement and industrialization of the ESG framework system.Based on the above background,constructing a framework for ESG information disclosure in the mining industry has research significance.The mining industry ESG information disclosure framework system constructed in this article,on the one hand,aligns with the latest internationally disclosed ESG guidelines,such as the "GRI Industry Plan Mining Consultation Draft" issued by the Global Reporting Initiative(GRI)in February 2023,and on the other hand,aligns with domestic mining industry laws and regulations and industry norms to promote the localization of the mining industry ESG information disclosure framework system in China.Specifically,this article first understands the overall framework of ESG information disclosure by reading domestic and foreign ESG information disclosure guidelines and evaluation systems;Secondly,analyze and compare the "GRI Industry Plan Mining Consultation Draft" and "SASB Metals and Mining Sustainability Accounting Standards" to analyze the ESG substantive issues of mining industry characteristics;Then,in combination with the "Guidelines for the Preparation of China’s Corporate Social Responsibility Reports"(CASS-ESG5.0),the "Guidelines for Environmental,Social,and Governance Reports" issued by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange,the Mingsheng(MSCI)ESG rating method,and the Huazheng ESG rating methodology,adjustments and supplements are made to the above substantive issues of ESG in the mining industry;Thirdly,analyze the ESG issues in China’s mining industry system documents,integrate the issues extracted from the system documents with the framework analyzed above,and obtain the ESG information disclosure framework system for listed companies in the mining industry,so that the framework system reflects Chinese characteristics,conforms to Chinese legal systems,and promotes the localization of the ESG system.Finally,taking Chihong Zinc Germanium as an example,this paper applies the above framework system,analyzes the current situation and existing problems of information disclosure at the ESG information disclosure level of Chihong Zinc Germanium,and proposes optimization suggestions,with a view to providing some reference for improving the ESG information disclosure in China’s mining industry.To sum up,on the one hand,this article enriches the theoretical research on ESG information disclosure in China,analyzes the ESG information disclosure framework system in the mining industry,promotes the localization of the ESG framework system,and provides the foundation for the localization of the ESG system in China.On the other hand,this article provides mining enterprises with ideas for report disclosure;Provide stakeholders with the basis for independent analysis and evaluation of the disclosed content,thereby guiding them to make scientific and green investment decisions;Promote the introduction of relevant policies and regulatory measures by regulatory authorities.This article believes that the road to the industrialization of ESG information disclosure is still long,and the road to the development of ESG in China is still long.The framework system for ESG information disclosure in the mining industry constructed in this article is an important step towards the industrialization of our ESG system.In the future,it is still necessary to continuously improve the indicators therein,continuously strengthen the understanding of mining enterprises,stakeholders,and regulatory authorities on ESG information disclosure,and gradually improve the ESG system management,Promote the sustainable development of China’s mining industry. |
