The ‘Global Resource Use’ research group published the study ‘Metal mining is a global driver of environmental change’ in ‘Nature Reviews Earth & Environment”.

An online version can be accessed here: https://rdcu.be/eqBBm

Key take-aways:

• Global demand for metal ores has nearly quadrupled since 1970, reaching 9.4 billion tonnes of crude ore extraction in 2022, driven by rising demand for infrastructure development and renewable energy technologies.

• While metals are needed to mitigate climate change and phase out coal mining, surging extraction levels have significant impacts on land use, water resources and biodiversity at world-wide scale.

• In order to mitigate environmental impacts, action needs to be taken at several leverage points, including enhanced environmental assessments, stricter implementation of policies, and coordinated actions along the entire metal supply chain.

Full reference:

Giljum, S., Maus, V., Sonter, L., Luckeneder, S., Werner, T., Lutter, S., Gershenzon, J., Cole, M.J., Siqueira-Gay, J., Bebbington, A., 2025. Metal mining is a global driver of environmental change. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1–15. DOI: 10.1038/s43017-025-00683-w.