The role of global challenges for sustainable development in the Bor basin copper

Abstract

The paper gives an overview of the global economic trends and strategic business challenges for the development of the non-ferous mining & metallurgy sector in the Bor basin copper in Serbian part of Danube region and its implications for the national framework. Strategic ecomic challenges in the non-ferous sector are endangered by world economic and financial crisis. Paper indicates some prospects in the future financing of (project) developments in the copper sector, as follows: 1) Variable, unreliable, "cunning" and skillfully established method and character of financing as a long-term effect of the global financial crisis, which especially causes changes in the financing of capital and company debt, with a great importance of financial derivatives; 2) Dynamic demand growth resulting for the economic expansion of the China, BPJC countries, etc.; 3) The capital cost; 4) The role of the agencies for credit rating, considering that their assessment of a country's financial capacities can drastically change the investors' confidence, in the copper sector as well; 5) Further tension in obtaining social and spatio-environmental permits for mining activities; 6) A lack of uniform global framework for standards in environmental reporting, and its impacts on the future development of copper basin of Bor. An analysis of strategic prospects in this sector is undertaken by application of broadest integrated framework for the preliminary general, sectoral and corporate risk assessment & management. Specific attention is given to economic and environmental issues in the Bor basin copper. Paper indicates that economics and other predictable impacts of global sectoral challenges on the future sustainable development of Bor basin copper should be included in corporate making-decision, as well as in local and regional plans1.