ICA’s pathway to reach netzero by 2050

The International Copper Association (ICA) members have aligned on an ambition to reach net zero in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050, and work toward the same goal for Scope 3 emissions.

As copper demand is set to double by 2050, the roadmap, Copper – The Pathway to Net Zero, sets out a clear ambition for ICA’s members—among the largest producers of refined copper in the world—to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30-40% by 2030 and by 70-80% by 2040. Regarding Scope 3 emissions, members will work with value chain partners to reduce emissions 10% by 2030, 30-40% by 2040, and 60-70% by 2050. These collective ambitions show a clear trajectory to achieving defined emissions reductions of up to 85% by 2050, with the balance to be addressed through advanced technologies and enhanced collaboration with value chain partners.

Refined copper production emitted an estimated 97 Mt of CO2 equivalent in 2018. Scope 2 emissions accounted for 46% of these emissions, followed by Scope 3 at 31% and Scope 1 at 23%. This constitutes around 0.2 percent of global man-made emissions.

The ICA estimates that certain industry needs and policy goals must also be met in order to hit the roadmap’s goals. These include further research and development into innovative technologies for emissions reduction, the decarbonisation of local power grids and regulatory certainty, including fair and stable royalties and long-term mining licenses.

The roadmap states how ICA members will reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions through four abatement levers based on market-ready and developing technologies: alternative fuels, equipment electrification, decarbonised electricity, and energy efficiency.

Moreover, the collective ambition outlined in the roadmap is based on current knowledge of decarbonisation technologies and on a set of sound hypotheses about availability at scale, and the cost and abatement potential of these technologies. If required at all, carbon offsets and commercially unrealised technologies like carbon capture would be limited to minimal, highly specific cases.

The Copper—The Pathway to Net Zero roadmap builds on previous best practice guidelines by ICA. In 2020 with the support of ICA, The Copper Mark®, an independent third-party assurance framework, was launched. The Copper Mark® was designed to provide all stakeholders with the confidence that certified copper production sites operate according to internationally accepted, responsible industrial practices.