As the world contends with the urgent need to decarbonise, coupled with rapid urbanisation and the dire need to address social inequality, the demand for mined materials is set to increase even more, according to Duncan Wanblad, chief executive of Anglo American.
He said mining was an industry renowned for its ups and downs, some self-inflicted, some not. “But never before has there been such an obvious and urgent demand for what we do and, more specifically, what we make possible.”
Going forward, he said, the challenge was clear. “We need to go about satisfying the demand for metals and minerals in a very different way: a way that is in harmony with the needs of society and the natural environment – while creating and sharing enduring value in an inclusive way for all of our stakeholders.”
According to Wanblad, as the world rallies toward the urgent goal of net-zero, it will be mining that provides the feedstocks necessary for such wholesale decarbonisation. “And we must do so in the cleanest and most socially responsible way possible. I am encouraged by the progress we have made as an industry to move from talking about climate change to advancing climate action.”
He emphasised the role of mining in the decarbonisation agenda, saying the world could not do it without mining products. “Mining is the cornerstone, and the enabler, of the energy transition.”
Using Platinum Group Metals as an example, Wanblad said they would continue to play a role in reducing vehicle emissions. “They will play an even more important role in the production of green hydrogen and its use as a store of energy. A hydrogen economy, powered by renewables, could meet the substantial demand for the world’s energy needs by 2050. This secular shift has the potential to create entirely new economic sectors, and the jobs to power them.”
The picture was even more positive for copper. “It is a critical metal traditionally associated with the transmission of electricity. It is also a key ingredient for a new era of clean, green, renewable energy. Copper is at the heart of every wind turbine, electric vehicle, and solar farm,” said Wanblad.
