ICMM: Key energy-transition minerals mining not major source of GHG emissions

(Posted on 16/03/26)

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has published its new Global Mining & Metals Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Dataset, alongside an insights report that provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date picture of how the mining and metals sector scope 1 and scope 2 emissions contribute to global GHG emissions.

Key findings include:

Mining for minerals important for the green energy transition and sustainable development is not a major source of GHG emissions.

Non-coal mining represented just 0.54% of global GHG emissions in 2024.

By comparison, fugitive emissions from coal, which must be phased out to meet global climate goals, accounts for 2.46% of global GHG emissions.

In total, scope 1 and 2 emissions from mining (3%) and metal processing (8%) in 2024, position the sector as the sixth largest source of global GHG emissions, contributing less than the power generation, transport and agriculture sectors and about as much as all other industrial processing activities.

Steel and aluminium production, along with coal mining, were the largest sources of GHG emissions overall, together responsible for 93 per cent of sector scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2024.

Demand for steel and aluminium, which are important for infrastructure underpinning the green transition, is forecast to increase in the coming years.

Decarbonising steelmaking and aluminium smelting represent the most significant opportunities for sector-level decarbonisation.

Approximately 80% of the sector’s global scope 1 and 2 emissions originate in Asia, reflecting both the concentration of primary mines and processing facilities for most global commodities in the region.

By combining facility-level data from 1,700 facilities across 14 commodities representing 87% of global production, and modelling emissions using regional commodity-level averages for the remaining (13%) production volume, the dataset captures an industry-wide total of scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2024. The dataset is designed for high-level sector and regional insights only and is not suitable for benchmarking companies or assets, or for assessing corporate progress against targets. In contrast to corporate-level data, this dataset offers an industry-wide picture, explores regional and commodity-specific emissions profiles and allows comparison of mining and metals GHG emissions with emissions from other major industries. The findings offer important context at a time when demand for minerals and metals is rising rapidly to support the global energy transition and the infrastructure and urbanisation needs of a growing population.

As the world progresses towards the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, demand for minerals and metals is projected to grow significantly, reflecting the sector’s essential role in building clean technologies. At the same time, producing these materials is energy-intensive, which means the mining and metals industry is both a contributor to GHG emissions and a key enabler of the energy transition. By publishing this dataset – the second in a planned series of data-backed reports - ICMM's intention is to strengthen our collective understanding of the mining and metals sector’s contribution to GHG emissions and support informed decision-making for policymakers, investors and all relevant stakeholders.

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