Aligning to the Paris Agreement Setting and Committing to Science-Based Decarbonisation Targets

The mining sector is in an enviable position in that the minerals and metals it produces are going to be essential for the energy transition and, for the most part does not emit as much greenhouse gas as manufacturing and energy, nor has it yet been subject to many carbon tax and trading schemes. But the winds of change are blowing, and the mining sector now has to decide whether to keep clutching the umbrella, or to build a turbine and embrace the change.

Financial institutions and lenders, driven by their conscientious stakeholders, are increasingly requesting ESG be taken into account in investment decisions and carbon is top of the list. Direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from a mine are becoming the minimum disclosure requirement. Investors are also increasingly asking for evidence that a mine is adapting to climate change and decarbonising in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In this short video, Senior ESG Consultant Chris O’Brien demonstrates the importance of setting science-based decarbonisation targets which align with the Paris Agreement, and how this is relevant to developing project concepts, taking engineering decisions and long-term mine planning. Chris explains why the only target should not (and cannot) be carbon net zero by 2050.