Mining: MIT Tech Review, GRI new standard and IBRAM's Green Book of Brazilian Mining

Today a few recent notes about the mining sector, towards a greener economy, ESG.

Every now and then we hear that there will not be enough raw materials for the new technologies behind renewable energy. A study published on January 31 by MIT Technology Review indicates the contrary: there is enough aluminium, steel and rare-earth metals to build the renewable-energy infrastructure needed to meet climate-change targets. "The minerals are there", according to the researchers who looked at 17 of the key materials needed to generate low-emissions electricity and their geologic reserves. Most renewable technologies require some other bulk materials - transformed from "common minerals" like cement and steel - and others also need specialty ingredients. Solar panels run on polysilicon, while wind turbines need fiberglass for their blades.

In spite of technically having enough of the materials we need to build renewable energy infrastructure, If we don’t do it mining and processing responsibly, getting those materials could lead to environmental harm or even human rights violations. Copper, lithium and cobalt are on the spotlight. Click here for the MIT Tech Review article .

That said, we move to GRI, that on February 07 released for consultation a new standard for the mining sector. The standard identifies 25 topics that encapsulate the full range of impacts of mining:

• Environmental: climate change, greenhouse gas and air emissions, biodiversity, water and waste

• Social: community and human rights, indigenous peoples, land and resource rights, modern slavery and forced labor

• Economic: anti-corruption, procurement and payments to governments

As the exposure draft is open for consultation until 30 April, you can click here to read more and participate .

To conclude this post, "The Green Book of Mining in Brazil" published (in Portuguese) by IBRAM in January. Emphasys is given to the social and environmental aspects - including tailings dams - besides impacts and legislation. And activities in Brazil from Alcoa, AngloAmerican, AngloGold Ashanti, CBA, CBMM, COPELMI, EMBU, Fides Mining, GERDAU, Kinross, Largo Inc., Lundin Mining Brasil, MRN, Mosaic Fertilizantes, Nexa Resources, Samarco, Somar Mineradora and Vale.

You can download the 192-pages book (in Portuguese) here . Inside the book there are nice pictures and other great references, accessible via QRCode.

And by clicking at the image below you can have a better visualization of the graph "Materials Needed for Energy Technologies" and further references.