1,2,7,10- 1Global Centre for Mineral Security, The University of Queensland, Sustainable Minerals Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 3The Biodiversity Consultancy Pty Ltd, Cambridge, UK
- 4School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 5Nature-positive Hub, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- 6Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- 7Geography Department, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
- 8Altekio S Coop.Mad, Madrid, Spain
- 9FRACTALS Collective, Madrid, Spain
- 10Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
Global biodiversity is increasingly threatened by climate change and land use pressures, including mining. Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 requires a transition from fossil fuel extraction to sourcing the minerals necessary for renewable energy production. Although material use will probably decline in a low carbon economy, the intensity, location and ecological footprint of extraction are expected to shift. In this Review, we assess how evolving mineral demands affect biodiversity and social conflicts. We examine the minerals required for renewable energy technologies and infrastructure, and outline the pathways through which mining affects biodiversity from site to global scales. Drawing on cases from the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice, we also explore how these impacts intersect with environmental justice conflicts, including triggers, concerns and outcomes related to energy transition minerals. Although critical minerals dominate policy discourse, construction materials account for the largest share of demand by volume, approximately 70 percent, and they are often neglected in research and policy analysis. Shifting demand away from drilling and coal mining toward a diverse range of extraction methods and minerals needed for renewable energy technology and infrastructure will reshape both how and where mining impacts occur. Overall, the shift in mineral demand suggests that although a substantial portion of extraction may remain concentrated in known mining regions, the intensity and nature of mining activities and impacts are likely to change. These changes may involve the development of new mines or the expansion of existing ones. Yet the full spectrum of materials required for both renewable energy technologies and infrastructure must be included in material footprint assessments, biodiversity assessments and social conflict analysis. Despite future demand projections and expanding research, crucial gaps remain in biodiversity and social risk assessments, comprehensive mineral demand projections and spatial data on the extraction of construction materials. Building a comprehensive understanding of mineral requirements and associated risks is essential for decarbonization strategies that are socially and environmentally responsible.
How to cite: Aska, B., Sonter, L. J., zu Ermgassen, S. O. S. E., Franks, D. M., Mingorria, S., Iniesta-Arandia, I., Lloyd, T. J., and Torres, A.: Mining, biodiversity and social conflict in the renewable energy transition, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-423, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-423, 2026.
