"Green mining is a myth": EU must be tougher on mining, report suggests

22 October 2021

13:30

The EU must set hard limits on mining and change the European Green Deal's stance on resource mining if it plans to cut emissions, a recent analysis from Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE) and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) suggests.

Gold mining. Credit: Evgeny_V / Shutterstock

Mining currently accounts for anywhere between 4% to 7% of global emissions; however, many key players have pledged towards carbon neutrality in recent months. Credit: Evgeny_V / Shutterstock

The report, published on October 5, accuses much of the mining sector of "effectively greenwashing" and promoting the idea that certain minerals are required in the energy transition while positing that Europe should scale back resource extraction by as much as 65% in a bit to reduce overall emissions and provide a buffer against runaway mining.

It suggests the bloc is already extracting a "dangerous" amount of natural resources, which could stand to have serious environmental consequences.

The EU's mineral footprint sat at around 14.5 tonnes in 2018, it found - with official EU data showing a nearly identical figure for 2019 - with imports from outside the EU accounting for 20% of this total. Experts consider this to be around double the "safe" limit.

The report also suggests that this footprint has been slowly rising for decades, with a small dip occurring in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

According to one report from McKinsey, the global mining sector currently accounts for anywhere between 4% and 7% of global carbon emissions, asserting the industry may face "material business risks" if it fails to decarbonise.

The EEB study also claims the bloc is using anywhere between 80 to 97% of available "environmentally safe operating space" - the amount that can be used to allow for ecosystems to bounce back once operations cease.

Mineral extraction can cause as much as 90% biodiversity loss while also having other impacts, such as the pollution of local water sources, as seen with the disused Rio Tinto mine in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea or following the 2018 Brumadinho dam collapse in Brazil which caused mining giant Vale to become embroiled in a $7 billion settlement, ultimately causing a leadership shakeup.

Anglo American also faced a class-action lawsuit over lead poisoning from an abandoned mine located near Kabwe, Zambia.

The authors also accuse the mining sector of "dispossessing the people of extracting countries" through rigorous mineral extraction.

European Green Deal plans are continuing on the path of "consumption as usual", which could lead to mineral scarcity. For example, the push towards electrification in the automotive sector could stand to increase demand for lithium by as much as 6000% by 2050, the report claims.

Projects to provide a reliable supply of lithium for the bloc are trickling in, albeit slowly.

Mineral scarcity has become something of a hot topic within the industry. A recent set of Rystad data suggests that demand for nickel - also a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries - could outstrip supply by as early as 2024.

This may be further exacerbated as semiconductor manufacturers seek alternative chemical formulae, such as using more nickel to allow for lower quantities of cobalt, which could be in part due to the issues of "conflict minerals" and the various humanitarian issues associated with them.

The report's authors claim increases in electric vehicles will "not be enough" to combat carbon emission owing to the number of minerals needed in the energy transition, and has suggested legislation should target an overall reduction in private car ownership, possibly in favour of boosts to public transport.

It describes the 65% reduction in mineral extraction as an "urgent first step" in tackling the root causes of the broader climate and environmental crises and bringing change to a system that "drives overconsumption and social inequalities in all sectors".

“The EU has a history of passing weak laws which fail again and again to reduce the [number] of natural resources we consume, putting the remaining parts of the natural world and many communities under immense stress", according to Meadhbh Bolger, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

"The reason is simple: the laws are all predicated on economic growth, which is not compatible with a sustainable future", she added.

“Recognising that we cannot mine our way out of the climate crisis means that we need to stop the growth frenzy", said Diego Marin of the European Environmental Bureau.

He suggests tackling the root cause of the various environmental issues, rather than the symptoms.

“End of pipe solutions alone no longer cut it, we need to tackle the many issues with the linear take-make-use-lose economy at the very source", he concluded.

28 of the world's top mining companies recently together to make a landmark pledge towards complete sector carbon neutrality by 2050, according to the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).

The CEOs of Rio Tinto, Glencore, Anglo American and others signed an open letter agreeing to limit Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by the mid-century, following extreme pressure from climate activists.

They will also apparently be looking to tackle Scope 3 emissions directly during the 2020s - with many aiming to tackle emissions along their value chains.

Proposed solutions include green steel, though the technology is still in relative infancy.

Rio Tinto partnered with mining equipment provider Caterpillar in September to deliver a fleet of zero-emission mining trucks for use in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It has also pledged to look into green hydrogen technology in alumina refining and is attempting to phase out iron ore in favour of copper mining by expanding operations in places such as Mongolia.

Meanwhile, Anglo American is looking into creating a "hydrogen valley" in a platinum-rich region of South Africa, as the country looks to decarbonise key sectors and later announced it would be looking into potentially 3D printing mining equipment.

However, accusations of greenwashing have been levied against these companies by both the FOEE and EEB, with their report bluntly stating that "green mining is a myth".

Completely decarbonising value chains may prove difficult for the miners, however. Metals such as copper, iron and aluminium are used heavily in the construction sector, which is also another priority sector for decarbonisation. The report also lays criticism at an increased emphasis on mining rare earth minerals for use in electronic devices.

It also claims many of these metals are also heavily associated with the military-industrial complex, both in the creation of new technologies to fight wars, but with many conflicts revolving around the Earth's dwindling natural resources.

Global military spending came to around $2 trillion in 2020, and the report's authors claim many mining giants actively downplay their roles in these conflicts.

Ironically, the EU pledged to clamp down on greenwashing in February, with a particular emphasis on consumer goods companies.

This has likely been spurred on by the pandemic increasing "conscious consumption" habits - people assessing the environmental and economic impacts on the goods they purchase.

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