Mining is not typically associated with visions of a circular economy, where waste is
transformed into inputs for ecologically safe outputs. But if the world is to transition to a
low-carbon future – a fundamental imperative if we are to avoid warming the planet more
than 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial temperatures – more minerals and metals will be
required, not less. The future is renewable energy, robots and electric vehicles. This shift
will require vast volumes of copper, lithium, cobalt, platinum, chrome and manganese.
This policy briefing details the opportunities associated with the Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR) in South Africa, and the role that mining can play as the world transitions
to a low-carbon circular economy.
