The RAWCLIC project is proud to have participated in the writing of this new piece on “Metal mining is a global driver of environmental change”. This comprehensive review article examines how global metal ore extraction has dramatically increased over the past five decades and identifies mining expansion as a major driver of environmental transformation worldwide.
Key Research Findings
The study provides a thorough analysis of mining trends across 47 different metal ores from 1970 to 2022, revealing critical insights into the environmental consequences of our growing demand for metals. The research highlights several alarming trends:
- The Explosion in Metal Extraction
- Strong Geographical Concentration of Mining Activities
- Widespread Environmental Consequences for Water, Land and Biodiversity
- Significant Role of Trade and Consumption as Drivers
Solutions and Recommendations
Beyond identifying problems, this review offers concrete recommendations for addressing mining's environmental impacts:
- Enhanced global cooperation frameworks
- Improved governance structures for mining regulation
- Adoption of holistic approaches that consider entire metal supply chains and lifecycles
- Integration of environmental costs into economic decision-making
The RAWCLIC project is proud to be part of the projects cited as a funding source alongside the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; grant agreement no. EFP 5) and the International Climate Initiative (Transparent Monitoring project, grant agreement no. 20_III_108).
Read the full review now! https://rdcu.be/eqBBm
