Abstract
The mining industry is uniquely placed in the global movement towards zero carbon emissions. While the metals and mining industry is a contributor to the global carbon footprint, representing approximately eight percent of global emissions, the industry is also critical to lowering global carbon emissions across the broader economy. The research presented proposes an unlikely partnership between the mining industry and the environmentalist movement towards carbon taxation. Through a financial model, the impact of three levels of carbon taxation on 23 commodities across three industries were tested. The findings show that, given any level of taxation, most mined commodities would not add more than 30% of their present product value. Comparatively, commodities such as coal could be taxed at more than 150% of their current product value under more intense carbon pricing initiatives, thereby accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources and the consequent demand benefits for mined metals.