235 Together, regulatory frameworks, traceability systems, and impact-oriented financing structures enable mining companies to align financial performance with societal outcomes, strengthening trust, improving access to capital, and supporting the long-term resilience of critical mineral supply chains. 13. CONCLUSIONS The mining sector is undergoing a structural transformation driven by the energy transition, regulatory evolution, and the growing integration of sustainability into financial markets. As critical minerals become essential for global decarbonization, traditional efficiencyfocused models are no longer sufficient to ensure competitiveness or capital access. This paper argues that impact investing offers a framework to align financial performance with measurable environmental and social outcomes. Moving beyond compliancebased ESG, impact-oriented mining integrates sustainability into capital allocation, governance, and operational strategy—directly influencing cost of capital, risk management, and long-term asset value. Technology and data infrastructure play a key enabling role, transforming sustainability from a reporting exercise into a strategic management capability. At the same time, organizational transformation, community engagement, and circular resource management are critical to embedding impact into core business models. Ultimately, impact-oriented mining is both a strategic opportunity and an emerging requirement. Companies that successfully integrate measurable impact alongside financial returns will be better positioned to secure capital, strengthen legitimacy, and sustain long-term competitiveness in the critical minerals era. REFERENCES International Energy Agency (IEA). (2024). Global critical minerals outlook 2024. Paris: IEA. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024 World Bank. (2020). Minerals for climate action: The mineral intensity of the clean energy transition. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documentsreports/documentdetail/305101600405831479 Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). (2021). What you need to know about impact investing. Retrieved from https://thegiin.org/impact-investing Cohen, R. (2023). Impacto: Transformar el capitalismo para lograr el cambio. London: Ebury
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