Abstract
Many mining companies have publicly announced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, which are typically set with milestones in 2030 and 2050 to align with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. As 2030 draws ever closer, the need for realizing these GHG reductions grows increasingly important. Recent updates on efforts to reduce emissions have shown that we are falling well short of global targets.
The mining industry represents a significant component of the GHG emission puzzle, as it plays a role in both the problem and the solution. Given the amount of up-front work required, and as failure to achieve the 2030 targets will likely impact the ability to meet the longer-term reduction efforts, there is no better time than the present to begin working towards minimizing a project’s footprint. Removing sources of emissions, or minimizing the amounts, sooner than later will provide much greater benefits in the overall scheme of worldwide carbon reduction.
As such, consideration towards GHG mitigation should be made at every stage during a project’s investigation and development, not just in later stages of study or during operation. Geologists and mining engineers can embed decarbonization solutions into their own work practices, rather than considering it to be a stand-alone discipline. This presentation will discuss ways that engineers, regardless of their project’s size, location, and commodity, can take meaningful action to build a mine that aims to minimize GHG emissions from the outset.