The mineral dilemma behind green tech

Fossil fuels are on track to soon become history. In May 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) put out a report calling for a stop to all new fossil fuel development by the end of the year, and for the sales of internal combustion engine cars to discontinue by 2035. The purpose of this aggressive stance on climate change is to align with the Paris goal of having a shot at a maximum 1.5°C temperature rise. The report, Net Zero by 2050, laid out a detailed road map for an accelerated transition to renewables, and many decision-makers are paying attention.

Perhaps surprisingly, clean energy infrastructure involves sourcing significantly more mineral content than is needed for its fossil fuel equivalent; an onshore wind farm, for example, requires nine times more minerals than a gas-fired plant. Compared to an internal combustion car, about six times more minerals are needed to build an electric car. The energy sector represents a growing percentage of world demand for copper, nickel, cobalt, graphite, lithium and many others. In the politics of climate change, the more ambitious the emissions cuts, the faster mineral demand will need to multiply. These issues were presented in a sister