The Swedish mining sector in sustainable futures

The report examines the dilemma of the Swedish mining sector: its necessity for the low-carbon energy transition versus its negative environmental and social impacts. Through a collaborative project between Svemin and SEI, the authors developed four future scenarios for 2050 and a draft sustainability roadmap consisting of 31 robust action points. Key recommendations include improving supply chain traceability, addressing land-use conflicts with Indigenous Sami rights, and pursuing 'moonshot' projects like the 'invisible mine' to minimize surface impacts.

• The Swedish mining sector faces a fundamental dilemma where the transition to low- or zero-carbon energy systems requires vast material resources, yet mining operations cause negative local environmental impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, and socioeconomic tensions.
• The project developed a draft sustainability roadmap for the Swedish mining sector containing 31 robust action points categorized into six themes: collaborative raw materials supply, defining 'sustainable mining', improving permitting processes, creating a circular raw material hub, enhancing transparency and traceability, and strengthening local and national engagement.
• SEI analysis indicates that the Swedish mining industry must take greater responsibility for land-use conflicts, specifically regarding human rights and the rights of Indigenous Sami people, to avoid regulatory uncertainty and reputational damage.
• The report suggests the industry pursue 'moonshot' projects, such as the 'invisible mine' concept, which aims for a zero-waste, fully automated operation located underground to radically reduce surface environmental impacts.
• Supply chain traceability and transparency are identified as critical tools for the sector to gain a competitive advantage in global commodity markets, although consumer willingness to pay a premium for sustainable materials remains low.
• The Swedish mining sector has a potential competitive edge in climate change mitigation due to the low carbon footprint of the Nordic power market and ambitions to be fossil-free by 2045, supported by projects like HYBRIT for carbon-neutral iron ore reduction.
• A baseline review of Svemin members revealed a gap in corporate accountability, with only 41% having a policy commitment on human rights and 31% reporting on human rights in annual reports.
• Mapping the draft roadmap against the UN 2030 Agenda showed positive potential effects on 16 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the strongest positive impacts on goals 8 (Decent work and economic growth), 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), and 12 (Responsible consumption and production).

APA

Olsson, O., Skånberg, K., & Larsen, R. K. (2019). The Swedish mining sector in sustainable futures. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/swedish-mining-sustainable-futures-sei-report.pdf

Chicago

Olsson, Olle, Kristian Skånberg, and Rasmus Kløcker Larsen. The Swedish mining sector in sustainable futures. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/swedish-mining-sustainable-futures-sei-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Olle |last2=Skånberg |first2=Kristian |last3=Larsen |first3=Rasmus Kløcker |title=The Swedish mining sector in sustainable futures |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/swedish-mining-sustainable-futures-sei-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olsson2019swedish, author = {Olsson, Olle and Skånberg, Kristian and Larsen, Rasmus Kløcker}, title = {{The Swedish mining sector in sustainable futures}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/swedish-mining-sustainable-futures-sei-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }