The Impacts of Rare Earth Mining for Our Digital World on Biodiversity

The digital revolution has profoundly reshaped our lives, delivering unparalleled connectivity and convenience. Yet, the devices and technology fueling this transformation impose significant, often underestimated environmental costs: the environmental and biodiversity impacts of rare earth element (REE) mining. Essential for ICT devices like smartphones and computers, REEs have a complex supply chain rooted in some of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Despite their importance, the extraction and processing of these elements cause habitat destruction, pollution, and long-term ecosystem degradation. This blog post explores the critical need for sustainable practices in rare earth mining to align the ICT industry’s growth with environmental preservation.

A Glimpse Into Rare Earth Elements and ICT

Rare earth elements are vital to the functionality of modern ICT devices. Their unique properties enable advancements in miniaturization, energy efficiency, and performance (Zhou et al., 2017), (Charalampides et al., 2015). As the demand for ICT innovations and green technologies surges, so does the reliance on REEs. However, this increasing dependency comes with challenges, as REE extraction methods often result in severe environmental damage, including habitat loss, pollution, and biodiversity decline (Nayar, 2021).

The Cost of Extraction: Biodiversity at Risk

Mining for REEs often targets regions rich in biodiversity. The environmental consequences are multifaceted:

• Direct Impacts: Soil erosion, water contamination, and air pollution lead to habitat destruction and degradation (Yang et al., 2023).
• Indirect Effects: Polluted ecosystems disrupt food chains, threatening life on land and in water (Zhuang et al., 2015).
• Ecosystem Services Loss: Mining activities affect vital ecosystem services such as water regulation, carbon storage and soil fertility (Mace et al., 2011).

A detailed case study in Southern China highlights the severe environmental repercussions of REE mining in the region, particularly the degradation of biodiversity-rich ecosystems. The unregulated mining of ion-adsorption clays has resulted in widespread soil contamination, deforestation, and water pollution, critically impacting both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Restoration efforts, such as reforestation and rehabilitation, have shown some progress, yet maintaining ecological resilience remains a persistent challenge. Spatial analyses of the region reveal that areas closer to mining sites exhibit significantly reduced biodiversity levels and slower recovery rates.

This underscores the urgency for robust regulatory frameworks and targeted ecological interventions to mitigate long-term damages (Zhang et al., 2023).

Towards Sustainability: Mitigation and Circularity

The industries, society, and policymakers must address these environmental costs through sustainable and innovative approaches. These can include:

• Adopting International Standards: Guidelines like the ICMM Mining and Biodiversity Framework emphasize integrating biodiversity considerations into all stages of mining. These standards encourage proactive planning to minimize ecological impacts and promote transparency, fostering greater accountability within the industry (ICMM, 2024).
• Promoting Recycling and Circular Economy: By recovering REEs from disposed electronics and industrial waste, the ICT industry can significantly reduce its reliance on newly mined resources. This approach not only conserves natural habitats but also mitigates geopolitical risks associated with the limited REE supply. Enhanced recycling technologies, better collection systems, and clever product designs are pivotal to making REE recoveryviable (European Parliament, 2024).
• Implementing Restoration Practices: Comprehensive initiatives, such as reforestation and ecological rehabilitation, can play a transformative role in restoring biodiversity in mining-impacted regions. Innovative techniques like progressive rehabilitation—restoring land during the active mining phase—and using native species in reforestation efforts are critical to ensuring long-term ecological resilience (Cooke & Johnson, 2002).
• Exploring Sustainable Mining Practices: Advanced techniques such as in-situ leaching, which dissolves minerals in place, can significantly reduce surface disruption. Precision mining technologies target only mineral-rich zones, minimizing land degradation. Underground mining, as opposed to surface methods, lowers habitat destruction, while smaller-scale operations can lessen environmental impact if effectively managed. Combined with efficient water and energy use strategies, these practices pave the way for greener extraction processes (Haque et al., 2014).

National regulations, such as Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, also play a critical role in safeguarding ecosystems from the adverse effects of mining. These policies set a benchmark for environmental accountability and provide a framework for enforcing sustainable practices globally (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 2024).

The Way Forward

The digital era presents a paradox: while enabling sustainable transformations, it depends on resource-intensive processes with significant environmental costs. For the ICT sector to continue driving innovation without undermining ecological integrity, concentrated efforts towards sustainable mining practices are essential. Integrating biodiversity conservation into corporate responsibility frameworks, investing in recycling technologies, and enforcing strict environmental policies are steps forward.

Beyond, consumers and stakeholders can advocate for transparency and accountability in the sourcing of rare earth elements, for example by supporting companies committed to ethical sourcing, recycling electronics responsibly, and demanding stricter and effective environmental regulations.

This blog post builds upon the report we developed as part of the “Digitalization & Sustainability” module in the BFH Master of Science program in Circular Innovation and Sustainability. We extend our gratitude to Jan Biser and Matthias Stürmer for their guidance throughout the course.

Sources

Charalampides, G., Vatalis, K. I., Apostoplos, B., & Ploutarch-Nikolas, B. (2015). Rare earth elements: industrial applications and economic dependency of Europe. Procedia Economics and Finance, 24, 126-135.

Mace, G. M., Norris, K. & Fitter, A. H. (2011). Biodiversity and ecosystem services: a multilayered relationship. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(1), 19–26

Nayar, J. (2021, 12. August). Not So “Green” Technology: The Complicated Legacy of Rare Earth Mining. Harvard International Review. https://hir.harvard.edu/not-so-green-technology-the-complicated-legacy-of-rare-earth-mining/

Yang, W., Zhou, Y. & Li, C. (2023). Assessment of Ecological Environment Quality in Rare Earth Mining Areas Based on Improved RSEI. Sustainability, 15(4), 2964.

Zhang, J., Li, H., Huang, D. & Wang, X. (2023). Evaluation Study of Ecological Resilience in Southern Red Soil Mining Areas Considering Rare Earth Mining Process. Sustainability, 15(3), 2258.

Zhou, B., Li, Z., & Chen, C. (2017). Global potential of rare earth resources and rare earth demand from clean technologies. Minerals, 7(11), 203.

Zhuang, P., Zou, B., Li, N. Y., & Li, Z. A. (2015). Heavy metal contamination in soils and food crops around rare earth mining area in Southern China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22(2), 13142-13154.

Cooke, J. A., and M. S. Johnson. “Ecological Restoration of Land with Particular Reference to the Mining of Metals and Industrial Minerals: A Review of Theory and Practice.” Environmental Reviews, vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 2002, pp. 41–71, https://doi.org/10.1139/a01-014.

Haque, Nawshad, et al. “Rare Earth Elements: Overview of Mining, Mineralogy, Uses, Sustainability and Environmental Impact.” Resources, vol. 3, no. 4, Dec. 2014, pp. 614–35, https://doi.org/10.3390/resources3040614.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. “Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).” Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), 24 Oct. 2024, https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc#:~:text=The%20EPBC%20Act%20and%20regulations,the%20Federal%20Register%20of%20Legislation.

European Parliament. “Right to Repair: Making Repair Easier and More Appealing to Consumers.” Right to Repair: Making Repair Easier and More Appealing to Consumers, 23 Apr. 2024, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20590/right-to-repair-making-repair-easier-and-more-appealing-to-consumers.

ICMM. “Taking Urgent Action to Halt and Reverse Nature Loss Is Vital to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Reaching Global Decarbonisation Targets.” Taking Urgent Action to Halt and Reverse Nature Loss Is Vital to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Reaching Global Decarbonisation Targets., 26 Oct. 2024, https://www.icmm.com/.