Support the development of grid-connection infrastructure and the scale-up of technologies such as CCUS: –For example, Eramet partnered with Air Liquide, forming a multi-year contract to build a pilot carbon capture and storage project to capture CO2 from the combusted gas of two manganese alloy-producing furnaces.209 Green Gravity’s Gravity Energy Storage System (GESS) uses heavy weights moving vertically through legacy mine shafts to capture and release gravitational potential energy as a low-cost, long-life energy storage technology.210 Avoid, then reduce, land and pollution impacts from exploration, extraction and waste Companies can invest in innovation to avoid and reduce impacts, working with start-ups to accelerate research and development, develop new lower-impact technologies and support the scale- up of economically viable technologies. For exploration, opportunities exist in new technologies that improve the accuracy of location targeting for drilling, such as remote sensing, autonomous drone technologies, LiDAR (light detection and ranging), and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models. For example, TerraEye applies integrated AI and machine learning to real- time satellite data, enabling companies to identify mineral deposits more efficiently.211 Companies can also innovate to reduce the need to drill and collect core samples. For example, Datarock’s cloud platform uses AI to extract geological and geotechnical data from core imagery, to optimize analysis and improve ore body knowledge.212 For extraction, this includes: –Prioritizing underground mining over open-cast mining to reduce surface-level spatial footprint –Improving extraction efficiency rate to reduce material removal requirements –Optimizing purification and beneficiation of ores to improve post-extraction ore quality and enable downstream customers to use lower- impact technologies –Investing in the development of in-situ leaching to eliminate the requirement to remove material, following an assessment of the nature impact trade-offs between material removal and in- situ pollution –Developing sustainable or natural chemical and non-chemical extraction techniques. –For example, companies can use chemicals such as methanesulfonic acid or ionic liquids, which are lower-toxicity, less volatile, require reduced inputs or are recyclable,213,214 or living microorganisms. Endolith uses microbes to extract critical minerals from low-grade ores, with minimal to no changes in existing mining operations.215 Companies can also innovate to avoid, reduce, reuse, re-mine and recycle mining and metals waste in operations: –Reduce initial waste production, for example: –Vale has redesigned processes at their Brucutu mine, incorporating new minerals processing stages to generate a new by- product called ore sand and significantly reduce the amount of material disposed of conventionally as tailings. Ore sand not only reduces the risks of conventional mine waste management but can also be a competitive option to conventional sand, thus contributing to alleviating the damage caused by the excessive extraction of sand from rivers and sensitive coastal environments.216 –Hydro has developed a novel “tailings dry backfill” technology, which eliminates the need for bauxite tailings dam storage.217 –ArcelorMittal is piloting non-wet or reduced- moisture tailings disposal methodologies in iron ore mines in Mexico, Brazil and Quebec.218 –Re-mine materials from slags and tailings, for example: –Envicore offers solutions to transform mine waste into supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), enabling up to 20% cement replacement.219 –Rio Tinto is extracting elements such as tellurium, scandium and aqua-catalysed hydrated lime (CHAC) from metal production by-products for use in other industries, such as aerospace, clean technology and agriculture.220 –Genomines harness the natural ability of hyperaccumulator plants to extract nickel from tailings.221 –Reduce yield losses in operations, as nearly half of all liquid metal becomes scrap on its journey to a final product.222 Nature Positive: Role of the Mining and Metals Sector 36

Nature Positive Role of the Mining and Metals Sector