Décarbonisation du secteur minier

The report argues that while Canada has a competitive advantage due to its clean electricity grids, the mining sector's emissions are rising as mines deepen and ore grades decline. It identifies three primary barriers to decarbonization: a lack of market demand for 'green' minerals, fragmented traceability infrastructure, and technological gaps in open-pit mining. The author proposes a policy toolkit including emission-intensity criteria for funding, support for R&D in emerging technologies like direct lithium extraction, and the maintenance of carbon pricing systems to incentivize the transition.

• Canadian mining emissions are increasing due to higher energy intensity; emissions from all mineral extraction rose from 8 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) in 2015 to 11 Mt CO2e in 2022, a 35% increase.
• Canada's current competitive advantage in copper mining is primarily due to low Scope 2 emissions from clean electricity grids, but it lags behind countries like Chile and Australia in Scope 1 emissions.
• Market demand for low-carbon minerals is currently low because buyers are unwilling to pay a 'green premium,' as evidenced by the London Metal Exchange's decision in 2024 to drop a proposed green nickel contract.
• Decarbonizing open-pit mines is hindered by the lack of commercial zero-emission heavy equipment; fully electric 'ultra-class' haul trucks may not be commercialized until 2030.
• Underground mining is progressing faster toward electrification, with battery-electric equipment already being deployed in projects such as McIlvenna Bay in Saskatchewan and Brucejack in British Columbia.
• The lack of reliable, low-carbon electricity infrastructure is a significant barrier, particularly for off-grid mines that remain dependent on diesel generators.
• Digital tools like 'battery passports' and the EU's 2023 regulation (effective February 2027) could help Canadian producers distinguish their high-performance environmental materials in the global market.

APA

Al-Aini, E. (2025). Décarbonisation du secteur minier. Canadian Climate Institute. https://institutclimatique.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Decarbonisation-secteur-minier.pdf

Chicago

Al-Aini, Eyab. Décarbonisation du secteur minier. Canadian Climate Institute, 2025. https://institutclimatique.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Decarbonisation-secteur-minier.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Al-Aini |first1=Eyab |title=Décarbonisation du secteur minier |publisher=Canadian Climate Institute |date=June 2025 |url=https://institutclimatique.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Decarbonisation-secteur-minier.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alaini2025dcarbonisation, author = {Al-Aini, Eyab}, title = {{Décarbonisation du secteur minier}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://institutclimatique.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Decarbonisation-secteur-minier.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }