Cement Energy Environment

14 During the 2015 Paris Agreement, 195 countries across the globe, pledged to limit global warming to well below 2.0°C, and ideally not more than 1.5°C above pre industrial levels. It is evident that if we have to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement, to limit global warming to 2°C, urgent action is required from all sectors, including the mining sector. This target would manifest in decarbonization across mining industries, creating major shifts in commodity demand for the mining industry and likely resulting in declining global mining revenue pools. To sum up, meeting the goal of the Paris Agreement will require, to significantly reduce the amount of CO 2 released by mining industries and, in some cases, the types of resources they extract. Already, many mining companies across the globe, are making progress toward reducing emissions, but their focus has primarily been on incremental targets instead of planning holistically, with the desired end in mind. Mining companies should target the carbon reduction necessary to keep global warming below 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels. There are many strategies that can facilitate this goal, including leveraging new technologies and innovations to add renewables to electricity supply, improving mining processes, switching Gt per year Global net CO 2 emissions pathways 1.5°C compatible path 4 2°C compatible path 3 Current trajevtory 1 Paris pledges 2 40 0 -20 2010 2020 2060 2100 from fossil fuels to renewable fuels, reducing waste, and optimizing transportation. The article details few of the actionable efforts, which can be incorporated in practice of mining operations. Each mining company needs to evaluate alternate options internally and choose the most beneficial and cost-effective approach for their unique circumstances, but every plan must have an appropriate target as well as public disclosure of progress. The best concept for effectively reducing global warming and to achieve the ‘Gross Zero target’, is to effectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all sources including human & Industry sources, uniformly to ZERO. But this is a very idealistic situation, On the other hand, ‘Net Zero Target’ is to achieve an overall balance between emissions (GHG) produced and emissions (GHG) taken out of the atmosphere. To explain the concept in a simple way, to consider a bathtub with the water taps turned on, NET ZERO Mining - The Basic Concept as achieving Gross Zero target is almost impossible to attain, and will need lots of efforts to be put in. In short, it can be said that the complete elimination of emissions from the industry sectors is either too expensive or impossible, so residual emissions will remain. ‘Gross Zero target’ approach can be achieved with turning down the taps (the complete removal of emissions) ‘Net Zero Target’ approach is to drain an equal amount down the plug (removals of emissions from the atmosphere, including storage for the emissions such as “carbon sinks”) with keeping the tap on.