133 appraisal criteria, localization has tangible effects. In these cases, SDGs facilitate ex-ante project evaluation, improve regulatory dialogue, and enable more coherent closure and restoration planning (Simpson et al., 2025). Environmental and post-mining research demonstrates that integrating SDGs into rehabilitation frameworks can guide ecosystem recovery and landtransition strategies in quantifiable ways (Ferrer et al., 2021b). These findings indicate that SDG localization is most effective when embedded within technical and governance systems, rather than limited to narrative alignment. The practical outcomes of localization remain conditional. Positive results are most consistently observed when SDGs are operationalized through clear indicators, structured decision-support tools, participatory governance mechanisms, or spatial monitoring systems. In these instances, SDG-based frameworks enhance transparency, clarify trade-offs, and strengthen stakeholder dialogue (Villeneuve et al., 2017a). However, in artisanal and smallscale mining (ASM) contexts, localization frequently reveals institutional weaknesses rather than generating immediate improvements. Factors such as informality, limited enforcement, regulatory fragmentation, and political instability constrain implementation, leading SDG frameworks to serve primarily as diagnostic tools rather than drivers of change (Benites & Ubillús, 2022b). This underscores that SDG localization is highly dependent on institutional capability; without sufficient capacity and reliable data, integration remains largely aspirational. Distinct patterns of selective prioritization are evident. Across reporting studies and expert assessments, SDGs associated with economic growth, infrastructure, responsible production, and climate transition, particularly SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, SDG 13, and increasingly SDG 7, predominate in corporate narratives and technical prioritization exercises (Deveci et al., 2022; Haywood et al., 2026; Perdeli Demirkan et al., 2021b; Saenz, 2023b). Conversely, SDGs related to local health (SDG 3), water security (SDG 6), poverty and food outcomes (SDG 1 and SDG 2), inequality and gender inclusion (SDG 5 and SDG 10), and biodiversity and ecosystem resilience (SDG 15) are less consistently operationalized, despite often representing the most significant impacts at the mine-site level (Essah, 2022b; Mancini & Sala, 2018; Tost et al., 2018). SDG 14 is typically ranked low in mining-specific prioritization due to the terrestrial orientation of most operations (Deveci et al., 2022). At the community and ASM levels, however, prioritization shifts toward immediate local concerns, with water (SDG 6) frequently the primary focus and spillover effects on health and livelihoods (Arthur-Holmes et al., 2022; Tougma et al., 2025). These patterns are shaped by structural factors, including reporting incentives, indicator feasibility, decision complexity, and governance constraints, which collectively determine which SDGs are integrated and which remain peripheral. The review identifies practical pathways for achieving stronger alignment. Transitioning from a narrow Social License to Operate to a broader Sustainable Development License to Operate reframes projects as long-term development partners rather than short-term extractive entities (Pedro et al., 2017). Integrating SDGs into Creating Shared Value strategies enables companies to address societal needs, such as water infrastructure or energy access, while enhancing operational resilience (Fraser, 2021). Strengthening supply chain traceability, local procurement systems, and shared infrastructure design facilitates better alignment with SDG 8,
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