Extracting Sustainability: An Examination of How Mining and Hydrocarbon Corporations Can Prevent Social Conflict in the Central Andes

Abstract

The number of social conflicts between extractive corporations, governments, and local communities is rapidly increasing, especially in the oil and mining sector. Social conflicts are undesirable because they result in costs for all stakeholders. The actors involved should develop conflict prevention strategies. This thesis will demonstrate that extractive corporations can prevent conflict by utilizing a business model focused on creating sustainable development. It will examine the causes of social conflict in a Central Andean context to demonstrate that extractive industries are the stakeholders best positioned to prevent conflict. The thesis will evaluate the existing conflict prevention precedents in use in the mining industry, propose modifications to make the strategies more effective, and present an argument for the application of these precedents to the oil and gas industry.