Obligation versus demand: Reconciling the net zero conundrum

By 2050, less than 30 years from now, the Minerals Council of South Africa is aiming for a net zero mining industry. It is currently putting a Net Zero 2050 Action Plan together that outlines sector-wide, collaborative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction efforts to this end, a critical component of which is the move towards renewable and green hydrogen technologies. 

The mining industry has a complex role to play as governments, the private sector and civil society call for more environmentally sustainable ways of working. While it is a contributor to global GHG emissions itself, it is also a critical means of reducing GHG emissions. A report by the World Bank estimates that the shift to a low-carbon future will require the production of some minerals, graphite, lithium and cobalt among them, to ramp up by nearly 500%. 

Our net zero world is still a mineral-intensive world, and the mining industry has a difficult line to walk.  

This, of course, is not alone. Many other major industries, including manufacturing, construction and agriculture, are increasingly obliged to both achieve net zero and to play their role in creating a net zero world.  

As consultants working in this space, how do we reconcile this conundrum? 

At Leoka Engineering, we are all too aware of the growing global pressures for our clients to make use of renewable energy solutions. In South Africa, there is also the added pressure of load shedding, which is adding fuel to the renewable energy fire. For reasons both ethical and practical, industry players simply cannot rely on the country’s fossil fuel-dependent national power utility. Alternative energy sources are critical. 

At this stage, our clients are largely taking a phased approach. Many have started to request the installation of graphite process solutions and photovoltaic solar panels at their operations, and others are striving to improve their extraction processes.  

We have ensured that we have the technical skills to meet this demand, and we will continue to increase the knowledge and capacity of our project managers, engineers and industry partners as other requirements need to be filled. Automation in the mining sector is a particularly fast-growing field, especially as the need for critical minerals increases, and we are on hand to provide advisory services and practical support as developments in this space evolve.  

Internally, we are conscious of our own carbon footprint, and our hybrid working model and carpooling systems are key contributors to our efforts. 

The shift to renewable sources of energy is a learning curve for everyone involved – from mining houses and construction companies to the project management teams, like Leoka, that support them.  

Our commitment to this process, however, is unwavering. We are determined to find new and innovative ways of ensuring the energy-intensive industries we work in become responsible contributors to the renewable energy revolution. We believe that, through collective effort, we will be able to meet the Minerals Council’s ambitious objective and make a difference in the future of our planet.