Mining Firms Slam Brazil Indigenous Bill in a Sign of ESG Times

  • Fast-tracked bill may be put to a vote in congress next month
  • ​Iron miner Vale calls for proper consent by local communities

Crushed iron ore moves along a conveyer belt to be loaded into railroad cars at a Vale mine in Barao de Cocais, Brazil.

Photographer: Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg

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There is a notable opponent to the Brazilian government’s plans to allow mining on indigenous lands -- the mining industry itself.

Proposed rules backed by President Jair Bolsonaro are considered too lax by large miners. In a statement Tuesday, iron ore giant ​Vale SA called for free, prior and informed consent by local communities.