How Does Conscious Mining Impact Guanajuato's Economy?

Mining in Guanajuato is consolidating as a strategic pillar for the sustainable development of Mexico and North America, according to the 2025 Sustainability Report: “Conscious Mining: Strength for North American Sustainability”, prepared by the Mexican Mining Chamber (CAMIMEX). The document emphasizes that the sector not only drives economic growth but also strengthens production chains, generates well-paid employment, and contributes directly to the energy transition and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a global context where sustainability has become an economic and social imperative, responsible mining emerges as a strategic activity to guarantee access to critical minerals, essential for clean technologies, electromobility, and advanced infrastructure. Learn all the details.

Guanajuato: Mining Tradition with Current Economic Impact

According to the 2025 Sustainability Report by CAMIMEX, Guanajuato maintains a significant presence within the national mining sector, with active operations primarily in gold and silver extraction. In 2024, the state positioned itself as the eighth national producer of gold and the eleventh of silver, key minerals for the manufacturing and energy industries. The mining sector contributed 2.05% of the national mining GDP and 8.6% of the state’s industrial GDP, reflecting its specific weight within the local economy. Furthermore, mining and metallurgical activity generated 24,839 direct jobs in Guanajuato, of which over 3,200 correspond directly to mining, while the rest are distributed in associated metallurgical activities, according to figures from the report itself.

Active Mining Operations in Guanajuato

The CAMIMEX report details that Guanajuato hosts historically and productively significant mines:

San José Mine, in San José de Iturbide, operated by Grupo Cova, dedicated to the extraction of silica sand and feldspar, under a plant scheme.
Valenciana and El Cubo Mines, operated by Guanajuato Silver, with underground extraction of gold and silver.
Bolañitos Mine, operated by Endeavour Silver, also underground and focused on gold and silver. These operations are part of a productive network that connects Guanajuato with multiple industrial sectors nationally and internationally.

Mining and Employment: Wages Above the National Average

One of the sector’s main contributions, according to CAMIMEX’s 2025 Sustainability Report, is the generation of formal and well-paid employment. In Guanajuato, the average daily wage for the

reaches 537 pesos, while in metallic mining it rises to 753.81 pesos daily, representing 40.4% above the national average. Nationally, mining generates 416,000 direct jobs and nearly 2.6 million indirect jobs, benefiting over 3 million Mexican families, with wages that are 4.8 times above the welfare line, according to the report’s data.

Productive Linkages and Regional Competitiveness

The CAMIMEX document highlights that mining has a direct presence in 192 productive sectors, functioning as a strategic link in chains such as automotive, construction, electrical, electronics, petrochemical, and renewable energies. According to a study prepared by CAMIMEX in conjunction with CIDE and based on INEGI data:

123 sectors depend on mining as clients, generating around 10.7 million jobs.
26 sectors participate as direct suppliers.
43 additional sectors offer services such as logistics, transportation, and consulting. This productive framework strengthens the competitiveness of regions like Guanajuato, especially in the context of the upcoming T-MEC review.

Environmental Sustainability and Energy Transition

The 2025 Sustainability Report emphasizes that Mexican mining is moving towards an increasingly responsible model. Currently, 70% of the water used in mining operations comes from recirculated sources, and more than a third of the energy consumed is from clean sources, with the goal of reaching 44% by 2030. These advancements are particularly relevant for Guanajuato, where metallic mining plays a key role in supplying critical minerals for solar panels, electrical components, and clean energy technologies.

A Sector Aligned with the 2030 Agenda

According to CAMIMEX, affiliated companies have integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their operations, with direct impacts on decent employment, education, gender equality, efficient water use, climate action, and community development. In the words of Pedro Rivero González, president of the Mexican Mining Chamber: “Every technological advance, every construction, and every clean energy begins with a mineral and is transformed by the work of people who make its responsible utilization possible”.

Guanajuato and North America’s Mining Future

The report concludes that Mexico produces nine minerals considered critical for North America, positioning the country —and states with a mining vocation like Guanajuato— as strategic partners for the United States and Canada in building a more resilient, innovative, and sustainable region. Conscious mining, CAMIMEX states, not only transforms natural resources into economic growth but also into well-being, opportunities, and shared development, laying the foundation for a more prosperous future for the communities where it operates. The entry

first appeared in Líder Empresarial.