Publication: The Growing Role of Minerals and Metals for a Low Carbon Future
Date
2017-06-30
ISSN
Published
2017-06-30
Author(s)
World Bank Group
Abstract
Climate and greenhouse gas (GHG)
scenarios have typically paid scant attention to the metal
implications necessary to realize a low/zero carbon future.
The 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change indicates a
global resolve to embark on development patterns that would
significantly be less GHG intensive. One might assume that
nonrenewable resource development and use will also need to
decline in a carbon-constrained future. This report tests
that assumption, identifies those commodities implicated in
such a scenario and explores ramifications for relevant
resource-rich developing countries. Using wind, solar, and
energy storage batteries as proxies, the study examines
which metals will likely rise in demand to be able to
deliver on a carbon-constrained future. Metals which could
see a growing market include aluminum (including its key
constituent, bauxite), cobalt, copper, iron ore, lead,
lithium, nickel, manganese, the platinum group of metals,
rare earth metals including cadmium, molybdenum, neodymium,
and indium—silver, steel, titanium and zinc. The report then
maps production and reserve levels of relevant metals
globally, focusing on implications for resource-rich
developing countries. It concludes by identifying critical
research gaps and suggestions for future work.
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2017. The Growing Role of Minerals and Metals for a Low Carbon Future. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28312 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”