The resources needed to decarbonise the world economy lie buried beneath the Earth. There is no alternative to digging them out if the energy transition is to take place. Without mining, there will be no silicon for solar panels, no steel for wind turbines, no lithium, cobalt or nickel for electric vehicles.
However mining itself accounts for 4-7% of global emissions. While an estimated 75-85% of the sector’s emissions come from methane released from coal mines, this problem is expected to abate over the next 25 years as the world gets on course for net-zero.
That’s why the focus is on decarbonising other forms of mining that are vital to the energy transition, where demand is rapidly rising. The International Energy Agency projects that reaching net-zero will mean a 50% rise in demand for copper by 2040, along with a doubling of nickel and cobalt demand, and an eightfold increase in demand for lithium.
For the rest of this article: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/decarbonizing-industries/digging-zero-inside-race-decarbonise-mining-2025-05-07/