May 16, 2023

The academic and director of the Energy Transition Center (CENTRA) at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI) emphasizes that fighting climate change requires solutions that will increase the demand for minerals, particularly copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium.

“When we talk about the energy transition, we are referring to the process of gradually replacing primary energy sources, which today are mainly fossil fuels,” explains Daniel Olivares, director of CENTRA | UAI.

He adds that the main reason for this transition is the accumulating and sustained effect of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels on the atmosphere, which is driving global warming.

The Mining Industry’s Role in the Energy Transition

Regarding the mining industry’s role, Olivares notes that, in the short term, mining companies have been focused on transitioning their energy consumption to renewable sources.

“That would be the first step. Obviously, we cannot reduce mining production—on the contrary, we need to increase it to meet the challenges of the energy transition. However, we must do so in a way that does not exacerbate the environmental impact of mining activities,” he concludes.

Read the full article and watch the video on: Minería y Futuro.

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