The theme of this work is the corporate social and environmental responsibility with a focus on the mining sector. It is justified because although the mining activity is essential for the economy and development of the countries, it interferes in the environment, with impacts on nature and people. The goal is to collect actual knowledge on the subject and highlight its importance to the mining industry. Specifically, the research aims to compare social and environmental responsibility standards applicable to the mining sector and the standards adopted by Brazilian mining company Samarco in its activities. In this comparison, it is concluded that Samarco adopts social and environmental responsibility standards and that they basically coincide with standards and environmental responsibility guidelines formulated by national and international entities. The work also investigates what would have caused the environmental disaster in Mariana Samarco operations.