Mining in the 21st century: A sustainable sector essential for the energy transition
The mining industry provides the raw materials needed for most industrial value chains.
This fact alone makes the sector one of the keys to industrial, social and technological progress in today’s societies. A modern and responsible mining industry will provide the indispensable assets to achieve sustainable development, facilitating innovation and economic growth, and providing the materials needed to make the transition to a more circular, low-carbon economy.
Traditional mining practices, which have often used unsustainable processes and obsolete technologies, have led to a negative view of this sector in society, coupled with a significant lack of knowledge about the importance of raw materials among the population.
The accumulated deficit of innovation, disruptive potential and inter-sectoral exchange has particularly affected SMEs in the sector, which do not have the tractor effect of large industries and have very limited resources for investment in more efficient and sustainable methods.
However, the growing development of new technologies is demonstrating that sustainability and environmental protection are a source of social and economic wealth for territories linked to the extractive industry.
Successful initiatives are currently being developed around the world aimed at the use of new advanced manufacturing techniques, information and communication technologies (ICT), energy efficiency and circularity in the raw materials and mining sectors.
These developments align perfectly with the European Union’s Raw Materials Initiative (RMI), whose three main pillars aim to ensure:
- Fair and sustainable supply of raw materials from world markets
- A sustainable supply of raw materials from the European Union;
- Resource efficiency and the reuse of 'secondary raw materials' through recycling.