Can mining be conducted in a green and sustainable manner?

In a new legislative initiative, the European Commission apparently aims at including mining and refining projects in the so-called EU taxonomy. If that plan was realized those projects would then be considered as sustainable and more attractive for investors. The political push comes at a time when Europe struggles to gain more independence regarding strategic resources.

How would that plan affect mining and production in Europe? The continent offers great potentials for gathering minerals in an environmentally friendly way. In order to keep a competitive edge and play a constructive role in countering the climate crisis it is vitally important to strengthen sustainable mining in the EU. Including suitable projects in the taxonomy could therefore be an important step.
 
It will, however, be crucial to carefully check with companies and projects are indeed on a path towards more sustainability to avoid the risk of carbon-washing. It’s not enough to simply call European mining companies green – there needs to be a strong basis for this claim. We at Eurobattery Minerals want to play our part in establishing a successful and resilient mining landscape in the EU.