Digging sustainably

ETMs are key ingredients in the clean energy technologies we need to limit carbon emissions and other pollutants. Copper conducts electricity through high voltage transformers, power lines, and virtually any kind of electrical equipment. Lithium, graphite, and cobalt power the batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Rare earth elements create powerful magnets that wind turbines convert motion into electricity with remarkable efficiency.

As the world shifts away from burning fossil fuels for energy, demand for ETMs is growing. Historically harmful mining practices provide lessons that can inform policies, practices, and guardrails around ETM mining as it grows. For example, land use changes caused by mines and their associated infrastructure have degraded nearby landscapes, damaged habitats for plants and animals, and impacted the livelihoods of local communities. Mines generate large amounts of waste that, if poorly managed, can pollute nearby resources, and their operations can consume large amounts of water, depleting supplies for downstream communities and ecosystems. We have an opportunity with future ETM mining to do things differently and better.

Recent analysis from WWF’s Community Positive Energy Transition program delivers reason for optimism: Mining for clean energy minerals has a substantially lower impact on biodiversity than fossil fuel extraction. Only about 7% of ETM mining projects overlap with key biodiversity areas¹, areas identified as crucial to protecting the survival of global biodiversity. In contrast, oil and gas extraction pose meaningful threats to these biodiversity hotspots: Nearly one-fifth of key biodiversity areas in tropical regions worldwide contain active or potential oil and gas operations.² This finding builds on a 2023 report that found the mining footprint needed for ETMs is “far smaller than the land spared from decommissioned coal mining.”

What does this mean? Put simply, transitioning to clean energy isn't just good for the climate–it's better for nature too. Still, it is critical that industry and policymakers proactively mitigate and minimize the impacts of mining ETMs on biodiversity, ecosystems, and people.

The window for getting this right is closing quickly as renewable energy deployment, and the buildout of supporting infrastructure like transmission and energy storage, accelerates to meet growing demand. Fortunately, there are clear strategies that can reduce the impacts of mining for ETMs.

Mining should be avoided in protected and conserved areas, including key biodiversitt areas, World Heritage Sites, important wetland areas (often designated as Ramsar sites), and other conservation areas. Policymakers can leverage geospatial tools to avoid mining and other harmful activities in these sensitive areas. As our new report shows, the overlap between key biodiversity areas and ETMs is small enough that avoidance is a viable strategy that should be a first consideration for mine owners and manufacturers sourcing ETMs. Mining companies should adopt responsible mining practices that minimize environmental and community impacts, improve water use efficiency, and prioritize land restoration. Additionally, global investment in infrastructure that enables the reuse and recycling of minerals is needed. Studies have shown that a circular economy for the clean energy supply chain could supply 40% of ETMs by 2050³. Finally, innovative technologies that require fewer minerals or support lower-impact mining practices can further reduce pressure on fragile ecosystems.

Any discussion about mining must also include Indigenous peoples and local communities who live near mineral deposits. Their rights, knowledge, and well-being must be central to decisions around mine siting, planning, operations, and closure.