Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action
Abstract Global nickel demand is projected to double by 2050 to support low-carbon technologies and renewable energy production. However, biomass carbon emissions from clearing vegetation for nickel mining are rarely included in corporate sustainability reports or considered in mineral sourcing deci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55703-y |
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| author | Evelyn M. Mervine Rick K. Valenta James S. Paterson Gavin M. Mudd Tim T. Werner Ilyas Nursamsi Laura J. Sonter |
| author_facet | Evelyn M. Mervine Rick K. Valenta James S. Paterson Gavin M. Mudd Tim T. Werner Ilyas Nursamsi Laura J. Sonter |
| author_sort | Evelyn M. Mervine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Global nickel demand is projected to double by 2050 to support low-carbon technologies and renewable energy production. However, biomass carbon emissions from clearing vegetation for nickel mining are rarely included in corporate sustainability reports or considered in mineral sourcing decisions. Here, we compiled data for 481 nickel mines and undeveloped deposits to show that the footprint of nickel mining could be 4 to 500 times greater than previously reported (depending on the mine site), and thus the environmental impacts of nickel products, including batteries, have been underestimated to date. We found large variation in biomass losses among mines, and, in many cases, these unaccounted carbon emissions were significant relative to other Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from nickel extraction and processing. Reporting emissions from biomass losses from mining is key for strategic decision making on where to source nickel needed for effective climate action. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4eb87ddf47854f01a212fb4f7dea4d9f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-4eb87ddf47854f01a212fb4f7dea4d9f2025-02-02T12:32:54ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111010.1038/s41467-024-55703-yBiomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate actionEvelyn M. Mervine0Rick K. Valenta1James S. Paterson2Gavin M. Mudd3Tim T. Werner4Ilyas Nursamsi5Laura J. Sonter6School of GeoSciences, The University of EdinburghSustainable Minerals Institute, The University of QueenslandSchool of GeoSciences, The University of EdinburghSchool of Engineering, RMIT UniversitySchool of Geography, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of MelbourneSchool of the Environment, The University of QueenslandSchool of the Environment, The University of QueenslandAbstract Global nickel demand is projected to double by 2050 to support low-carbon technologies and renewable energy production. However, biomass carbon emissions from clearing vegetation for nickel mining are rarely included in corporate sustainability reports or considered in mineral sourcing decisions. Here, we compiled data for 481 nickel mines and undeveloped deposits to show that the footprint of nickel mining could be 4 to 500 times greater than previously reported (depending on the mine site), and thus the environmental impacts of nickel products, including batteries, have been underestimated to date. We found large variation in biomass losses among mines, and, in many cases, these unaccounted carbon emissions were significant relative to other Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from nickel extraction and processing. Reporting emissions from biomass losses from mining is key for strategic decision making on where to source nickel needed for effective climate action.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55703-y |
| spellingShingle | Evelyn M. Mervine Rick K. Valenta James S. Paterson Gavin M. Mudd Tim T. Werner Ilyas Nursamsi Laura J. Sonter Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action Nature Communications |
| title | Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action |
| title_full | Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action |
| title_fullStr | Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action |
| title_short | Biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action |
| title_sort | biomass carbon emissions from nickel mining have significant implications for climate action |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55703-y |
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