Reimagining mining for a net-zero future

Reimagining mining for a net-zero future Carbon-negative mining offers a promising path to meeting the mineral demands of the energy transition while shrinking the industry’s carbon footprint. In this article, Dr Estibalitz (Esti) Ukar examines how innovative geochemical and geomechanical processes could turn mining into a net-negative carbon industry. The global energy transition depends on mining. Every electric vehicle, wind turbine, and solar panel relies on a steady supply of critical minerals such as nickel, lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. Yet mining remains one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries. As nations race toward net-zero emissions, this dependence poses a paradox: we need more mining to decarbonize, but we must also decarbonize mining itself. To achieve both goals, mining must evolve beyond simply reducing emissions toward methods that actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere. This is the promise of carbon-negative mining – an emerging approach that leverages the natural reactivity of rocks to capture carbon, unlock metals, and make mineral extraction more efficient and sustainable.