Electric vehicles, solar power and wind turbines are widely promoted as part of efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change. Studies in Europe have reported that fully electric vehicles emit, on average, three times less CO2 than comparable petrol cars, including emissions from electricity production and resource extraction. A recent assessment in Current Biology examines environmental and human impacts tied to mineral extraction used for components of green technology.
The study identifies cobalt and lithium as key inputs for electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and electronic devices. It reports that these minerals are extracted from areas often located in or near biodiversity hotspots. The assessment frames mining activities as a driver of pressures on wildlife in those regions.
Biodiversity impacts from mineral extraction
The Current Biology study reports that mining activities, particularly for critical minerals such as cobalt and lithium, pose threats to wildlife. It estimates that 4,642 vertebrate species globally are endangered by mineral extraction. The assessment also highlights limestone quarrying, which is used for cement production, as an additional pressure affecting many species.
It further reports that between 2000 and 2018, mining exploration and extraction resulted in the downgrading, downsizing or loss of protection for 78% of global protected areas. Fish species are described as especially affected, with 2,053 species at risk. The study adds that reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals are also among the groups facing increased risk.
The assessment notes that species dependent on freshwater habitats and those with small geographic ranges are most vulnerable. It also states that species classified as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered face greater threats from mining than less at-risk species. These patterns are presented as part of the broader biodiversity impacts associated with mineral extraction.
Protected areas affected by exploration and extraction
The analysis links changes in protected area status to mining activity over the period from 2000 to 2018. It reports that exploration and extraction contributed to protection being reduced or removed across a majority of global protected areas. The figure of 78% is presented as the share of protected areas affected by downgrading, downsizing or loss of protection.
Within the same assessment, fish species account for the largest number of species at risk at 2,053. Other vertebrate groups listed include reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. The study emphasizes differential vulnerability based on habitat dependence and geographic range size.
Cobalt mining in DR Congo and reported abuses
The human impacts highlighted in the assessment focus on cobalt supply chains used in multiple technologies. Cobalt is described as predominantly mined in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The region is characterized by poverty, corruption and conflict in reporting referenced by the article.
Despite DR Congo’s large reserves, it is described as one of the world’s poorest and most troubled nations. Reports cited within the text describe severe human rights abuses associated with cobalt mining, including corruption and environmental neglect alongside violations of basic human rights. The account links these conditions to ongoing operations in the region.
Investigative journalist Siddharth Kara’s book Cobalt Red is cited for describing connections between mining operations and abuses including murder, rape, displacement, slavery and child labor. The same source is described as also documenting massive environmental degradation tied to cobalt mining activities. The article presents these points alongside the biodiversity findings reported in Current Biology.