Minerals have been at the heart of society since prehistoric times and will continue to be of vital importance moving forward: better understanding of minerals is key to a sustainable and prosperous future. Researchers at Camborne School of Mines in the ‘Minerals Engineering’ group focus on optimising the extraction of minerals and secondary material resources, through research into processing properties, extraction potential via physical separation and bioleaching, measurement and process control tools, and mathematical modelling and simulation. Of vital importance in this field is geometallurgy, a framework that links the geological structure, formation and location of minerals to mining and extraction through the identification, sampling and measurement of key parameters. The challenges facing the mining industry include not just finding enough mineral resources to meet demand but to produce those minerals in a way that causes least harm, and conveys maximum advantage, to the environment and to society. Many research projects at Camborne School of Mines contribute towards these aims. We call this topic 'responsible mining and sustainable use of natural resources'. A selection of our projects is given in subsequent sections to illustrate the diversity of research required to make mining more economic, resource and energy efficient and safe; to protect the environment; to promote sustainable development and to ensure security of minerals supply.