According to the International Energy Agency, there are now more than seven million electric cars on the roads and there could be as many as 245 million by 2030.
But each of those cars relies on a battery to get from point A to point B. And those batteries are made from minerals like lithium, graphite, cobalt, and nickel, all of which are mined.
The mined materials are also needed to make wind turbines and solar panels. This demand is creating a kind of environmental enigma.
Research shows that mining waste has increased by more than 300% in some regions in the last decade and mining is responsible for up to 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. With the push for more renewables, those numbers will increase. According to the World Bank and independent studies, by 2050 the energy transition is expected to increase the demand for certain minerals between 30 and 800 times.
However, experts warn that the inevitable increase in mining activity is unsustainable under existing laws and regulations that are not adequate to ensure that the transition to renewable energy is safe and fair.
Last November, nearly 200 experts, academics, researchers and activists from around the world gathered in Ottawa to discuss what it would take for mining to play a positive role in the transition to a low-carbon future.
These are the key recommendations, compiled in a new report from MiningWatch Canada.
Reduce the demand for energy and extracted materials.
The simplest way to reduce the demand for extracted materials is to reduce the demand for energy.
A reduced demand for energy is necessary to reduce the impact of mining on communities. But it is also necessary because the earth’s mineral resources are actually finite.
According to a 2019 report by Earthworks and the Institute for Sustainable Futures, projected mineral demand for renewable energy would consume all of the planet’s cobalt, lithium and nickel.
Protect water from mining waste and disasters.
The report emphasizes the importance of prioritizing environmental protection and preventing pollution and toxic mining waste disasters.
“If lithium is the new ‘white gold’, water is our ‘blue gold’. It must be protected above all else,” said Rodrigue Turgeon, spokesperson for the Citizens Committee Protecting Esker, a grassroots organization in northern Quebec. , in the report.
In 2014, the Mount Polley mine spilled 24 million cubic meters of toxic waste into streams, rivers and lakes when its tailings dam ruptured. And for more than 60 years, the abandoned Tulsequah Chief Mine has been filtering contaminated sewage into a salmon basin. These disasters illustrate the need for “no-go zones,” places where mining is prohibited.
The report suggests establishing community-based participatory processes to identify prohibited areas, supported by local, national and international legal frameworks.
Respect indigenous rights and human rights
The report states that, to be sustainable, mineral extraction must “require the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples and the consent of local communities before any mining exploration or development.”
But in B.C., the outdated Minerals Holding Law allows anyone with a computer and a few dollars to claim without asking permission. And even when First Nations are consulted through the environmental assessment process, a vital part of Indigenous Rights is still missing.
And when an environmental disaster strikes, indigenous communities are often left with the devastation of the natural ecosystems on which they depend for their food and culture.
Improve government policy, regulations and legislation
Legal reforms will also be necessary to ensure that renewable energy mining does not cause more harm than good to the environment.
The report notes that laws and government policies must reflect the importance of minimizing social and environmental damage. “Legal protections need to be strengthened, developed and implemented to prevent harm, establish real accountability, including across supply chains, and respect indigenous territories and governance.”