Low-carbon technologies: An impending threat to forests

This briefing paper by the Forest Declaration Assessment examines how the global transition to low-carbon technologies increases the demand for minerals, thereby posing a significant threat to forest ecosystems, particularly Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) in the Amazon and Congo Basin.

• The transition to low-carbon technologies is highly mineral-intensive, requiring an estimated 3 billion tons of minerals and metals to achieve a below 2°C future. Production of specific minerals like cobalt, lithium, and graphite could increase by nearly 500% by 2050.
• Mining for low-carbon technology minerals threatens Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs), which represent 20% of tropical forest area but store 40% of total aboveground tropical forest carbon. Between 2000 and 2013, IFLs were lost at a rate of 7.2%, which is double the overall global deforestation rate.
• In the Amazon region, mining activities contributed to up to 9% of IFL area loss in tropical South America, and approximately 10% of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2005 and 2015 was caused by mining. Currently, 4% of operational or under-construction mines in the Amazon are within IFLs, while up to 13% of mines at the exploration or feasibility stage are within IFLs.
• The Congo Basin is rich in minerals such as cobalt, copper, and gold. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a primary supplier, providing over 65% of the global cobalt market, with this share expected to exceed 75% by 2023 due to demand for electric vehicles and smartphones.
• Corporate and governmental responses to mining-related deforestation are largely insufficient. While 93% of assessed companies have general biodiversity commitments, only 20% have Net Positive impact commitments and 11% have No Net Loss commitments. Additionally, 78% of state and regional governments lack forest management plans that directly address deforestation from mining.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2021). Low-carbon technologies: An impending threat to forests. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CDP_NYDF_Low_carbon_technologies.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. Low-carbon technologies: An impending threat to forests. 2021. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CDP_NYDF_Low_carbon_technologies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=Low-carbon technologies: An impending threat to forests |date=February 2021 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CDP_NYDF_Low_carbon_technologies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment2021lowcarbon, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{Low-carbon technologies: An impending threat to forests}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CDP_NYDF_Low_carbon_technologies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }