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Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity

Author

Listed:
  • Laura J. Sonter

    (The University of Queensland
    The University of Queensland
    University of Vermont)

  • Marie C. Dade

    (The University of Queensland
    The University of Queensland
    McGill University)

  • James E. M. Watson

    (The University of Queensland
    The University of Queensland
    Wildlife Conservation Society)

  • Rick K. Valenta

    (The University of Queensland)

Abstract

Renewable energy production is necessary to halt climate change and reverse associated biodiversity losses. However, generating the required technologies and infrastructure will drive an increase in the production of many metals, creating new mining threats for biodiversity. Here, we map mining areas and assess their spatial coincidence with biodiversity conservation sites and priorities. Mining potentially influences 50 million km2 of Earth’s land surface, with 8% coinciding with Protected Areas, 7% with Key Biodiversity Areas, and 16% with Remaining Wilderness. Most mining areas (82%) target materials needed for renewable energy production, and areas that overlap with Protected Areas and Remaining Wilderness contain a greater density of mines (our indicator of threat severity) compared to the overlapping mining areas that target other materials. Mining threats to biodiversity will increase as more mines target materials for renewable energy production and, without strategic planning, these new threats to biodiversity may surpass those averted by climate change mitigation.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura J. Sonter & Marie C. Dade & James E. M. Watson & Rick K. Valenta, 2020. "Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-17928-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17928-5
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    7. Roa, Diana & Navrud, Ståle & Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2023. "Accounting for unintended ecological effects of our electric future: Optimizing lithium mining and biodiversity preservation in the Chilean High-Andean wetlands," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
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    9. Talbot, David & Barbat, Guillaume & Boiral, Olivier & Ordonez-Ponce, Eduardo, 2023. "Failure to consider environmental risk: The case for biodiversity impact disclosure in the electricity sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    10. Roos, Andreas, 2024. "Renewing the Subterranean Energy Regime? How Petroculture Obscures the Materiality of Deep Geothermal Energy Technology in Sweden," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    11. Yutong Sun & Shangrong Jiang & Shouyang Wang, 2024. "The environmental impacts and sustainable pathways of the global diamond industry," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
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    13. Abbas, Khizar & Han, Mengyao & Xu, Deyi & Butt, Khalid Manzoor & Baz, Khan & Cheng, Jinhua & Zhu, Yongguang & Hussain, Sanwal, 2024. "Exploring synergistic and individual causal effects of rare earth elements and renewable energy on multidimensional economic complexity for sustainable economic development," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 364(C).
    14. Jose Antonio Garrido Torres & Vahe Gharakhanyan & Nongnuch Artrith & Tobias Hoffmann Eegholm & Alexander Urban, 2021. "Augmenting zero-Kelvin quantum mechanics with machine learning for the prediction of chemical reactions at high temperatures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    15. Durillon, Benoit & Bossu, Adrien, 2024. "Environmental assessment of smart energy management systems at distribution level — A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    16. Boafo, James & Obodai, Jacob & Stemn, Eric & Nkrumah, Philip Nti, 2024. "The race for critical minerals in Africa: A blessing or another resource curse?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    17. Roos, Andreas, 2022. "Global asymmetries in the rise of solar power: An LCA-based account of ecologically unequal exchange between Germany and China 2002–2018," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    18. Chien, Fengsheng & Sadiq, Muhammad & Li, Li & Sharif, Arshian, 2023. "The role of sustainable energy utility, natural resource utilization and waste management in reducing energy poverty: Evidence from South Asian countries," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    19. Bourgoin, Jeremy & Interdonato, Roberto & Grislain, Quentin & Zignani, Matteo & Gaito, Sabrina, 2024. "Mining resources, the inconvenient truth of the “ecological” transition," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    20. Ottonelli, Janaina & Lazaro, Lira Luz Benites & Andrade, José Célio Silveira & Abram, Simone, 2023. "Do solar photovoltaic clean development mechanism projects contribute to sustainable development in Latin America? Prospects for the Paris Agreement," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    21. Cuppari, Rosa Isabella & Branscomb, Allan & Graham, Maggie & Negash, Fikeremariam & Smith, Angelique Kidd & Proctor, Kyle & Rupp, David & Tilahun Ayalew, Abiyou & Getaneh Tilaye, Gizaw & Higgins, Chad, 2024. "Agrivoltaics: Synergies and trade-offs in achieving the sustainable development goals at the global and local scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).

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