Extraction of raw materials could rise 60% by 2060 – and making mining ‘greener’ won’t stop the damage

Subject: Environment

Section: Sustainable development and Agri

Context:

The upcoming Global Resources Outlook report by the UN International Resource Panel paints a critical picture of the escalating global consumption of raw materials.

Details of the report:

Since 1970, consumption has increased fourfold and is projected to rise by another 60% by 2060.
The report highlights that the mass of human-made products, or the technosphere, now outweighs the biosphere—the total mass of all life on Earth.
This shift, marking the 2020s as the era when human creations surpassed natural life in weight, has profound implications for global heating, ocean acidification, and the acceleration of species extinction.
The mining sector’s expansion requires vast land annexation, significantly increased energy consumption since the 1970s, and contributes to ecological degradation.
As material demand continues to rise, the declining quality of ores and the need for more intensive extraction methods signal an unsustainable trajectory.
This process not only generates wealth for a few but also designates numerous regions, especially in developing countries, as sacrificial zones, bearing the environmental and social costs of material consumption.

Critical raw materials:

The “critical” and “strategic,” raw materials are characterized by their scarcity, geographical concentration, and essential nature for military applications and technological competitiveness among major global powers.
These critical raw materials are also vital for the green transition, with the EU highlighting nickel’s importance for battery production.
The shift towards renewable energy and electric vehicles significantly increases the demand for minerals. For instance, a wind turbine requires nine times the mineral inputs of a conventional gas-fired power plant, and an electric vehicle needs six to ten times the minerals of a traditional car.

Urban mining:

Urban mining involves recovering minerals from waste, such as household electronics, construction debris, sewage, and incinerator ash.
Despite the potential benefits, the use of secondary materials is declining, with recycling rates for most minerals remaining alarmingly low, often below one per cent.
The economic model currently favors extractive mining due to its cost-effectiveness and simplicity, especially in developing countries where land is cheaper.
Extractive mining’s capital-intensive nature contrasts with urban mining’s labor-intensive requirements and the need for complex regulation of waste streams.
Urban mining’s growth is hindered by governmental reluctance to shift taxation from labor to the use of non-renewable resources.
Without significant regulatory and tax reforms, efforts towards a circular economy could inadvertently fuel economic growth, increase energy consumption, and exacerbate environmental damage.
Therefore, urban mining and circular economy initiatives are not inherently “green” and their effectiveness is heavily dependent on the surrounding political-economic framework.

Is “degrowth” the answer?

The concept of “degrowth” is gaining traction as a response to the limitations of engineering solutions and green growth strategies in addressing the environmental crisis.
Degrowth does not advocate for a universal contraction of economic activities but emphasizes the need for a significant and equitable reduction in the global consumption of materials and energy to restore a sustainable balance between society and nature.
These adjustments suggest that the current unsustainable forecasts for material usage by 2060 could be significantly lowered, highlighting degrowth as a viable path to sustainability.

Source: DTE