Social Licence as Industrial Policy: Why Legitimacy Is the Real Constraint

Europe does not only face a permitting challenge. It faces a legitimacy challenge. This session tackles the political and social dimension of mining head-on, asking why domestic projects continue to encounter resistance even when policymakers agree that critical raw materials are essential for climate, industry and defence. The discussion explores trust, local participation, consultation quality, land use conflicts, environmental credibility, benefits sharing and the limits of top-down policy. It also examines why some projects become symbolic political flashpoints and what developers can do differently from the earliest stages of engagement. This session stands out from a standard ESG panel by framing social licence as a core industrial variable rather than an optional communications issue. The objective is to show that no permitting deadline or strategic target will materially shift outcomes unless mining regains public legitimacy on the ground.