By 2030 , the world will have progressed in ways that will not only profoundly affect all of our lives , but the way the mining industry operates . From shifting geopolitical landscapes , technological innovations , and ecological changes , to the continued rise of social awareness among consumers - drivers of change will continue to evolve . Consulting firm Sandpit Innovation and global crowdsourcing platform Wikistrat recently partnered to run a collaborative online simulation to explore scenarios for the mining industry in 2030 . Bringing together 90 experts in the fields of innovation and disruptive technologies ( including contributors from BHP , Rio Tinto , South32 and Vale ) they explored 70 scenarios to discover how ESG and digital factors will combine and shape the mining industry over the next decade . Here are their top ten key findings . miningglobal . com 117