James is currently employed in the mining industry. We will guide you through the challenges that James is facing today and in the near future. ↓

There are two major categories of modern mining: underground mining and surface mining. While underground mining poses more danger to miners, surface mining can cause significant destruction to the surrounding landscape. Additionally, fracking, which has become a popular mining method in the US, is harmful to the environment as well. This process involves drilling into the earth and releasing gas by directing a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at a rock layer. The wells can be drilled both vertically and horizontally.

DID YOU KNOW ?

  • “More than 40% of streams in Western watersheds are contaminated by mine drainage.”

  • “Mining is currently responsible for 4 to 7% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. “

CLIMATE CHANGE CONSEQUENCES ↓

All types of mining pose a threat to the environment. Firstly, mining can cause acid mine drainage, a type of water pollution that can be damaging. Secondly, mining produces a lot of waste that contains toxic metals. If not dealt with properly, this waste can contaminate groundwater, thereby harming both wildlife and human health.

  • Increased frequency of droughts and floods can affect the water supply to mining sites, which can disrupt mining operations. These water shortages may force mining sites that depend on water-intensive processes to close

  • Extreme heat can reduce workers' productivity and increase the demand for cooling. Exposure to heat can also cause stress, which can put both physical and mental health at risk.

Most of the world's largest mining operations are located in remote and climate-sensitive regions. As mining is dependent on the natural environment, the industry's viability is directly tied to the location of the mined resources. To prevent the mining sector from becoming extinct, a habitable climate is crucial as the industry is not relocatable.

GREEN DEAL ↓

The EU Green Deal

The EU has created a new growth strategy called the European Green Deal in response to current environmental changes. This strategy aims to achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and zero net emissions of GHG.

In March 2020, the European Commission adopted the New Circular Economy Action Plan to help develop a sustainable industry and reduce pressure on natural resources.

A Circular Economy is an industrial system that prioritizes the reusability of products and raw materials, as well as the regenerative capacity of natural resources. To achieve this, a sustainable product policy is necessary to minimize value destruction and pursue value creation throughout the entire value chain. By reducing waste and increasing recycling, citizens will be empowered, regions revitalized, and better technologies developed.

This policy area will facilitate the switch to a green and circular design and production process. This will ensure that materials remain in the economy for as long as possible, reduce pressure on natural resources, and minimize pollution. Ultimately, this practice aims to double the EU’s circular material use rate while also reducing the EU’s carbon and material footprint.

GOOD EXAMPLES ↓

MINDINGSOILS is a project supported by the European initiative MINE.THE.GAP, which aims to promote the reuse of mining waste in a sustainable way. By utilizing innovative green technologies, the project seeks to prevent Acid Mine Draining after site closure and restoration, thereby contributing to the circular economy. With the closure of more mining plants, it is crucial to implement such mitigative technologies to protect local ecosystems from further harm.

Green transition - Spain & Portugal
Mindingsoils

This project aims to address the controversies surrounding the electric vehicle supply chain by developing a zero carbon emitting process for lithium extraction. Vulcan Energy, located in the Upper Rhine Valley, uses geothermal power generation to extract lithium-rich brine. They then use electrolysis to create the final product, lithium hydroxide monohydrate, which has already exceeded battery-grade specifications.

Green transition - Germany
Vulcan Energy

TARANTULA is a project that started in 2019, thanks to funding from the EU. Its aim is to find innovative ways to recover Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), such as Tungsten, Niobium, and Tantalum, from waste streams generated by mining and processing. By doing so, the project hopes to introduce sustainable solutions that can bring metals, metal oxides, and metal carbides to the market. These solutions will have high selectivity and recovery rates, while also being cost-effective and scalable for use across the mining and raw materials sectors.

Green transition - EU
Tarantula Project

Danish Metalworkers' Union (Dansk Metal) members are actively involved in building and securing the green transition. The report (“read more “) highlights the issue of job and competency mismatch, given that Denmark is legally bound to reduce CO2 emissions by 70% by 2030.

Green transition - Denmark
Green Transition Calls for Skilled Workers

FUNDING ↓

  • The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon has provided funding for the MINE.THE.GAP project.

    MINE.THE.GAP aims to curate an increasingly digital, green and circular mining value chain by introducing connections between mining sector SMEs, and the necessary tools to improve their competitiveness, boost their growth and implement new services, solutions and/or products through cross-sector and cross-regional collaboration.

    SME businesses can discover new project proposals, and collaborate with potential partners via the MINE.THE.GAP website and across open call and forum communication services. MINE.THE.GAP provides voucher-based funding system for projects, and general packages targeted to fostering innovation support, technology transfer and a mobility package (which incites cross-sector and cross-bored collaboration, broadening the project’s scope) to holistically accelerate sustainable transformation for all business in the mining sector.

    Find out more.

  • The European Raw Materials Fund is committed to fulfilling the agenda of the European Raw Materials Alliance by accelerating the sector's transition to net-zero emissions. This will be achieved through investments in critical materials and technical innovations in the raw materials industry, ultimately helping the EU to reach its target of producing one-fifth of its own rare earth magnets by 2030. These magnets are essential for constructing electric vehicles and wind turbines.

  • The Horizon Europe program is a significant source of funding for research and innovation in the European Union. It focuses on R&D projects that support the achievement of goals outlined in the Green New Deal and Sustainable Development Goals. The program is open to legal entities from EU member states and associated countries and encourages partnerships that have the potential to revolutionize industries. To support breakthrough innovations from small and medium-sized enterprises, 70% of the budget has been allocated to them, as private investors often consider such initiatives too risky. Several projects related to the mining sector have received funding under this program, including MINE.THE.GAP and TARANTULA.

JUST TRANSITION
Discover which actions you can undertake ↓

  • The mining sector affects several stakeholders, including unions, government, community, companies, and organized civil society. These stakeholders often have conflicting goals, particularly when it comes to the green transition. To avoid future tensions, social dialogue needs to tackle outstanding issues and unify and strengthen the sector.

  • It is inevitable that job losses will occur in the mining sector, which will affect the miners. As a result, it is crucial to provide financial empowerment to workers with a decent temporary income during the transition. It is important to establish a liveable wage, not just a minimum wage. The EU is planning to implement mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, which prioritizes the preservation of human rights and provides access to justice for victims and people affected by mining. Additionally, responsible mining standards already exist and should be used to protect workers and address mine-level issues.

  • The green transition will have the biggest impact on the mining sector, resulting in the loss of many jobs. Replacing these jobs will be challenging as mining operations are typically located in rural areas with limited economic development. However, repurposing mines for cultural and tourism purposes presents an opportunity in the sector. Additionally, the growing trend of metals recycling offers another avenue for job creation.

  • Looking at long-term solutions to foster resiliency and employability is important. Professional development, training and upskilling opportunities should be a right for mining workers. Yet, solely relying on training won't suffice, as there is a need for transferable skills that help miners to work across other sectors.

  • The move towards a net-zero economy will rely heavily on metals, making metal mining a crucial industry. However, due to the urgency of the transition, there must be a rapid increase in the availability of certain raw materials. Scarcity of these essential metals may pose a challenge, but technological advancements can help address these issues.

  • The impact of the green transition will be unevenly spread. Countries like Poland and the Czech Republic in the EU are more reliant on mining than others. There is no solution to even out the effects of phasing out of coal mining - as mining is for a fact location dependent - other than support the affected workers by previously mentioned measures.

    Moreover, the EU is heavily reliant on metals from outside the continent, particularly those required for the green transition. As a result, the EU has been exporting the pollution and destruction that arises from metal demand. It is crucial for the EU to provide proper technological support for metal mining and treat mining workers fairly, regardless of their location.

  • The main priority should be to reduce overall demand to decrease the need for mining, particularly coal mining, which needs to be phased out. It's important to note that all active mines in the EU are coal mines, so when people refer to mining, they typically mean coal mining.

  • However, committing to metal mining is crucial for a low-carbon future, as it's essential for green technologies, energy generation, and storage. The production of wind turbines, solar panels, battery storage, electric vehicles etc. is needed. While they aren't a complete substitute, transitioning to these minerals and metals can help replace the polluting effects of coal, and these industries could provide job opportunities as they grow.

  • It's necessary to set targets and plans to reduce absolute resource consumption, such as energy consumption, material footprint, land, and water footprints. 

  • Ultimately, avoiding further loss of biodiversity and land reclamation caused by mining is crucial.

GREEN TRANSITION
Discover which actions you can undertake ↓

  • Electrify gas appliances, adopt electric trucks and vehicles, operate with hydrogen fuel as opposed to diesel

QUIZ ↓