We must decarbonize mining to create clean energy

As the world shifts to cleaner sources of energy to combat the effects of climate change, it falls on the mining industry to provide the materials for renewable energy infrastructure. The copper that produces wind turbines, the lithium in the batteries that power electric vehicles, and the aluminum used to create solar panels are all products of mining.

Demand for these mined materials is only expected to increase in the coming years. The expectation is that the mining industry will do its part by quickly decarbonizing its own assets and operations. But mining is generally seen as a high-risk and slow-to-change business. So, miners must find a way to grow while changing and bringing in new technologies that allow them to decarbonize. Not a small task, but the goal of achieving net-zero mining operations is the new normal. The time to act is now.

Why are net-zero and decarbonization so important?

The purpose of net-zero emissions is to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) contribution to as close to zero as possible. From there, we can use offsets for what cannot be removed. This includes removing all GHG emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gas emissions. To quote the United Nations: “To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C, as called for in the Paris Agreement, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.”

Decarbonization is a critical strategy in combating climate change and achieving the emissions reductions targets set by the mining companies. It involves a multifaceted approach, including policy changes, technological innovations, and widespread adoption of sustainable practices to reduce humanity’s impact on the environment.

Decarbonization is seen as the “engine” that will pull other aspects of environment, social, and governance (ESG) forward. Why? Because the pathway to achieving decarbonization goals touches on all aspects of ESG. Issues such as water usage, inclusion and diversity, minimizing the impact on the environment, closure and reclamation, disclosure, and transparency are all parts of a decarbonization roadmap.

Key aspects of decarbonizing mining include the following:

> Energy audits: The audits aim to improve the efficiency of energy use in buildings, transportation, material handling, and processing. Audits should lead to steps to reduce energy consumption and associated emissions.

> Electrification: Electrifying aspects of mining, such as transportation, material movement, and heating, to rely on electricity produced from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels.

> Transition to clean energy: The transition includes shifting from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas to cleaner and renewable energy sources. These include solar, wind, hydroelectric, small nuclear reactors, and geothermal power. This reduces CO₂ emissions from power generation. We are seeing more companies install and use their own renewable energy sources every day, like BHP’s solar project in western Australia.

> Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS): When we cannot avoid carbon emissions, we turn to technologies that capture CO₂ emissions from industrial processes and power plants. Then, it can be stored or repurposed. That way, the emissions are not released into the atmosphere.

> Natural capital and nature-based solutions (NbS): Natural capital is the planet’s stocks of water, land, air, and renewable and non-renewable resources. NbS can help provide sustainable management and use natural features and processes to tackle climate change. One way we see this in the mining industry is with mine closure and water management. When closing a mine, the best option might be a nature-based stream restoration.

> Circular economy: Encouraging recycling and reusing materials to cut emissions associated with the production and disposal of goods. Whether we are upcycling, recycling, or reusing, there are many ways we can reconsider “waste” in the mining industry. We are also seeing encouraging results from the growing field of reprocessing tailings.

> Behavioral changes: Promoting changes in behavior and lifestyle, such as increased use of public transportation and reducing waste to lower personal carbon footprints. As consumers, we have a moral obligation to understand where and how our products are sourced. Some major companies, like Telsa and Apple, have invested in sourcing low-carbon metals for use in their products. We will likely see more low-carbon materials as consumer demand changes.

Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in mining

This is how we categorize the different kinds of carbon emissions a mining company creates in its own operations and in its wider value chain. The term first appeared in the Green House Gas Protocol of 2001, and today, the scopes are the basis for reporting GHG emissions.

Scope 1 emissions refer to direct GHG emissions. In mining, scope 1 emissions typically come from mining operations and include the following:

> On-site fuel combustion: Emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels within the mining site, such as diesel and gasoline used in mobile equipment, mobile pumps, mobile light plants, and vehicles.

> Blasting emissions: Emissions from explosives in mining, which release gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere.

> Process emissions: Emissions from chemical reactions or processes that release GHGs, such as methane emissions from coal mining or smelting processes.

Mining companies have direct control over scope 1 emissions and can implement measures to reduce them. These include improving equipment efficiency, switching to cleaner fuels, or capturing and reducing vented gases.

Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions associated with generating the energy that a mining site uses. These emissions occur at the facilities that produce the electricity or heat used by the mining operation. Common sources of scope 2 emissions in mining include

> Electricity consumption: Emissions associated with the electricity used for lighting, ventilation, and various processes within the mining facility.

Mining companies can reduce scope 2 emissions by sourcing electricity from cleaner and more sustainable sources, such as renewable energy. They can also reduce scope 2 emissions by reducing their overall energy consumption.

Scope 3 emissions are a broader category of indirect emissions. In any industry, scope 3 emissions can be the hardest to measure. In mining, they encompass a wide range of activities and emissions sources that are indirectly related to the mining operation but occur outside of its direct control. These emissions include the following:

> Upstream emissions: Emissions associated with the extraction, production, and transportation of raw materials, equipment, and fuels used in mining operations. This can include emissions from the mining company’s supply chain. For example, scope 3 upstream emissions for an open pit mine would be the emissions produced when manufacturing or transporting a haul truck that is used at the site.

> Downstream emissions: Emissions resulting from the processing, use, and disposal of mined products. For instance, a coal mine site’s scope 3 emissions would come from the combustion of coal in power plants. As you might imagine, many mining companies have large scope 3 downstream emissions and these can be challenging to reduce.

> Transportation emissions: Emissions from the transportation of mined products to market, including emissions from shipping, rail transport, and road transport.

> Land use changes: Emissions from deforestation, habitat destruction, or changes in land use because of mining activities.

Addressing scope 3 emissions often involves collaboration with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders across the mining value chain. Reducing scope 3 emissions is essential for a comprehensive approach to sustainability in mining and reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.

Most major mining companies have set net-zero emissions targets for both scopes 1 and 2 emissions. These targets are critical to mining’s continued role in the energy transition. However, scope 3 emissions dwarf those of scopes 1 and 2 emissions for most miners. So, it is imperative that the mining industry works with upstream and downstream partners to reduce GHGs across the value chain.

Recently (in Sept. 2023), the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) published guidance to improve the mining industry’s disclosure of scope 3 emissions. The guidance sets clear parameters for calculating emissions across the 15 categories of scope 3 emissions in the GHG Protocol.

“Climate change is the key challenge of our generation. ICMM’s scope 3 emissions accounting and reporting guidance will help to improve the understanding of mining and metals companies’ scope 3 emissions profiles, as well as provide opportunities to accelerate emissions reduction,” said Jakob Stausholm, chief executive, Rio Tinto, and chair of the ICMM Council’s Climate Change Advisory Group.

This is an important step for the mining industry to ensure that it is a responsible partner in the energy transition and that it is doing its part for a net-zero future.

We cannot wait to decarbonize

The impacts of climate change that we have seen around the globe are a glaring signal that the time for incremental changes is over. It is clear that immediate and drastic action towards a net-zero future is necessary, and it is equally clear that this future is not possible without mining.

The silver lining? There is an opportunity for the mining industry to be a leader in innovation and emissions reductions. Every day, we are seeing new strides in mining operations, providing more opportunities for mine owners to help the world meet its climate goals. It is time to act now, and we cannot wait to decarbonize mining. 

Sat Pandher is a senior mining engineer and decarbonization lead at Stantec.

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