What does this research mean for the field?

The Social License to Operate (SLO) in mining is a dynamic, territorially situated process driven by four interrelated strategic dimensions—social perception, territorial governance, benefit distribution, and institutional trust—that dictate its trajectory throughout a project's life cycle. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.METHODOLOGICAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

Develop an integrated territorial–relational analytical framework to conceptualize how a Social License to Operate (SLO) is established, maintained, and lost across mining project lifecycles.

August 22, 2026SustainabilityOpen Access

Social License to Operate as a Structural Condition for Mining Viability: A Territorial–Relational Approach Based on Socio-Environmental Conflict in Chile

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Authors

ACAlberto Cortes-ÁlvarezUniversity of La Serena EREdison Ramírez-OlivaresUniversity of La Serena DADarian Alfaro-TorresUniversity of La Serena

Discussion

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Implication

Qualitative analysis reveals four strategic dimensions governing the social license to operate in mining projects, highlighting dynamic pathways to project viability and conflict resolution.

Key Points

Develop an integrated territorial–relational analytical framework to conceptualize how a Social License to Operate (SLO) is established, maintained, and lost across mining project lifecycles.
Conducted qualitative research encompassing a comprehensive literature review, document analysis, and comparative case analysis.
Applied the resulting analytical model interpretively to an empirical case study of the Dominga mining project in Chile.
Identified four interconnected strategic dimensions: social perception and territorial management, territorial governance and citizen participation, territorial distribution of benefits, and institutional trust with relational coherence.
Established a cumulative and reversible five-stage sequence demonstrating how multi-dimensional interactions drive trajectories of legitimacy gain, degradation, or total loss over a project's lifespan.

Cite This Study

Cortes-Álvarez et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a895f2aca7ade938187d90f https://doi.org/10.3390/su18168484

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Implication

Qualitative analysis reveals four strategic dimensions governing the social license to operate in mining projects, highlighting dynamic pathways to project viability and conflict resolution.

Social License to Operate as a Structural Condition for Mining Viability: A Territorial–Relational Approach Based on Socio-Environmental Conflict in Chile

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Social License to Operate as a Structural Condition for Mining Viability: A Territorial–Relational Approach Based on Socio-Environmental Conflict in Chile

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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