The core of the CSR challenge for the extractive industries lies in the inherent non-renewability of minerals, on the one hand, and the expansive definition of sustainability, which includes social and economic variables, on the other.This special issue of GMI will be accompanied by a further volume (GMI 53 ) also addressing the extractive industries. These two special issues attempt to provide a sharper focus to the study and implementation of CSR: by examining its application to a specific sector, the extractive industries; by focusing on one key dimension of corporate behaviour, environmental performance; and by identifying and examining a number of distinct foundations for CSR. This issue focuses on values and principles related to CSR in the extractive industries. GMI 53addresses reporting and performance measurement issues relating to CSR.