In 2012, the mining sector was directly responsible for 514 760 jobs and another 838 623 jobs in related industries (GCIS, 2013). In response to the international movement towards environmentally responsible mining and national legislation, the South African mining sector had begun to take measures to consider the environment in its operations. In 2005, the Chamber of Mines established the South African Mining and Biodiversity Forum (SAMBF), a discussion platform that would provide guidance and information on best environmental practice to its members. One of the SAMBF’s first aims was to provide a local counterpart to the global Good Practice Guidance for Mining and Biodiversity (ICMM, 2010) developed by the International Council on Mining and Metals.