The mining industry has long had a reputation for being a polluting and dirty sector. However, it has a vital role in the world's low-carbon future.
As South Africa and the world grapple with the transition to a low-carbon future, our mining sector can support this move in a number of ways. Mines are producing more critical minerals that underpin renewable energy production and battery manufacturing - key pillars in moving away from carbon-based technologies. They are also coming up with innovative ways to embrace energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
On the production side, Africa contributes mainly through mining copper, cobalt and tantalum in Central Africa, while platinum group metals are mined in Southern Africa. According to SRK Consulting director and principal consultant Andrew van Zyl, these commodities come from regions that have contributed relatively little to the carbon emissions hastening climate change. "Despite this, African countries are, through their mining industries, making a significant contribution to supplying the minerals for a global energy transition. There are also possible reserves of lithium in Zimbabwe. and perhaps in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Ghana.
