The Minister of Energy and Mines stated that the government and companies must be more rigorous in complying with environmental regulations to ensure sustainable development.

The Minister of Energy and Mines, Rómulo Mucho, emphasized the urgent need to improve environmental liability management in Peru
at the launch of PERUMIN 37 in Lima. During Mining Thursday, an event organized by the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP), the minister highlighted that despite the progress and achievements in the mining sector, environmental liabilities continue to be a major challenge for the development of new projects.

“We are aware of the experiences in Canada and Australia, but challenges remain for us. For example, the management of environmental liabilities is something that is currently costing us,” said Mucho. The minister emphasized that environmental issues are not only related to old liabilities but also to recent disasters. “The Remediation Law, the Mine Closure Law, and the Environmental Liabilities Law have been in place for years, but both the state and companies continue to fail,” he pointed out.

Mucho also noted that these issues have been used by groups opposed to mining investment to hinder the progress of new projects. “We ourselves are giving reasons for the ‘no to mining’ stance,” the minister said, acknowledging the complexity of the situation.

However, he emphasized that Peru also has successful mining cases that are recognized worldwide. “From the Ministry of Energy and Mines, we will be much stricter in enforcing the law, so that mining projects serve as examples of good practice and do not generate negative impacts on the environment,” Mucho concluded.

It is worth noting that PERUMIN 37, the leading mining convention in Latin America and the world, will be held in the city of Arequipa from September 22 to 26, 2025.