Mining faces an historic reckoning: the time is now for leaders with courage to step up

The document calls for a shift from a destructive extractive model to one that prioritises human well-being and environmental preservation. It highlights the severe impacts of mining on water, soil, and air, and emphasizes that global coal use must drop by 80% in the next decade to maintain a 1.5°C temperature limit. In South Africa, failure to adapt could lead to interior temperature increases of up to 7°C by 2100, threatening health and agriculture.

• Mining causes significant human and environmental harm, including labour exploitation, the devastation of community livelihoods, and the pollution of water, soil, and air.
• To limit the average global temperature increase to below 1.5°C, global coal consumption needs to decrease by 80% over the next ten years, impacting the electricity, steel, and cement industries.
• The South African government indicates that failure to make climate adjustments could result in interior temperature increases of 2 to 3°C by 2050 and 6 to 7°C by 2100, causing catastrophic effects on water-intensive sectors, agriculture, and health.
• A sustainable transition to a low-carbon world requires a new mining model that prioritises mineral recycling, protects biodiversity and food-producing zones, and treats affected communities as equal stakeholders.

APA

Fourie, M. (2021). Mining faces an historic reckoning: the time is now for leaders with courage to step up. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/news/mining-faces-an-historic-reckoning-the-time-is-now-for-leaders-with-courage-to-step-up-2

Chicago

Fourie, Melissa. Mining faces an historic reckoning: the time is now for leaders with courage to step up. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2021. https://cer.org.za/news/mining-faces-an-historic-reckoning-the-time-is-now-for-leaders-with-courage-to-step-up-2.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fourie |first1=Melissa |title=Mining faces an historic reckoning: the time is now for leaders with courage to step up |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=13 January 2021 |url=https://cer.org.za/news/mining-faces-an-historic-reckoning-the-time-is-now-for-leaders-with-courage-to-step-up-2 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fourie2021mining, author = {Fourie, Melissa}, title = {{Mining faces an historic reckoning: the time is now for leaders with courage to step up}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2021}, month = jan, url = {https://cer.org.za/news/mining-faces-an-historic-reckoning-the-time-is-now-for-leaders-with-courage-to-step-up-2}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }