Metals and Materials
In this section, we look at greenhouse gas emissions and energy use associated with metal production. See also our broader analysis of mining and minerals.
Emissions
More elements of the periodic table are becoming critical to modern industrial production, and this is likely to become even more true as renewable energy and electric vehicles become more prevalent 1.
Sources: Energy and emissions figures from 1. For most elements, total tonnage from is 2, with additional data from 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 as indicated.
It is estimated that about 49 EJ of primary energy and 3.4 billion tons of CO₂e eissions, about 10% of the world total on both fronts, are dedicated to primary element production 1.
Energy Use
Energy can take a substantial share of the cost of mining and refining metals. For this reason, a shock in energy prices propagates through other commodities, such as metals, and causes price rises there too.
Source: IEA 10.
References
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Nuss, P., Eckelman, M. "Life Cycle Assessment of Metals: A Scientific Synthesis". PLoS One 9(7), e101298. July 2014. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Krisanda, J. "2015 Minerals Yearbook, Stastical Summary". United States Geological Survey. March 2019. ↩
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Anderson, C. "Tellurium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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Gambogi, J. "Yttrium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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Jaskula, B. "Gallium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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Jaskula, B. "Lithium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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Olber, J. "Strontium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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Sangine, E. "Thallium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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Tolcin, A. "Germanium". United States Geological Survey. January 2020. ↩
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International Energy Agency. "The Role of Critical World Energy Outlook Special Report Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions". May 2021. ↩