SDG13: Climate Action

SDG13 calls for rapid action to decarbonise the global economy in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change which calls on governments to limit global warming to well below 2^oC with an ambition to keep it below 1.5^oC to avert the worst effects of climate change.

Climate change affects every country on every continent and does not respect national borders, yet the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change continue to rise. Global emissions of carbon have increased by almost 50 per cent since 1990 and grew more quickly between 2000 and 2010 than in each of the three previous decades. Climate change can disrupt national economies and affect lives, with the poorest and most vulnerable people being affected the most. The adverse impacts of climate change include changing weather patterns, rising sea level, and more frequent extreme weather events which threaten global food production, access to water, and biodiversity. Ambitious, affordable, scalable solutions need to be embraced to achieve cleaner, more resilient economies.

How is this relevant to mining and metals?

Mining companies can contribute to addressing climate change by reducing their carbon footprint and by engaging in dialogue with stakeholders to enhance adaptive capacities and integrate climate change measures into policies and strategies. Coal-fired power generation is a major emitter of carbon dioxide and is a focus of international attention in tackling climate change. Large-scale commercially viable technological solutions such as carbon capture and storage will be needed if thermal coal is to have a significant role in the low-carbon future that governments agreed to in Paris. Mining also has a role in adapting to climate change by ensuring its surrounding communities (and its own operations) are resilient to the physical impacts of more extreme weather events.