Legal issues of the mining industry's evolution in modern world

Abstract

The mining industry's evolution in the framework of the global shift to a green economy is a multicolored and multifaceted process that brings together economic need and environmental concern. This thesis has shown that the mining industry is a keystone to making renewable energy technologies possible, as it provides essential raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements. Meanwhile, mining is one of the major causes of environmental degradation, posing an essential conflict between economic growth and sustainability.

The historical discussion of the mining industry verifies that the industry has developed to be less traditional mining of resources and more technologically focused and strategic. The demand for critical minerals, in turn, grew significantly in the modern age because of the growth of renewable energy systems. This change underscores the increasing role of mining in meeting the global climate goals and the necessity to pursue more sustainable mining.

But the study has demonstrated that there is two-sidedness in the mining industry. On the one hand, it promotes economic growth and technological progress, as well as green energy transition. Conversely, it is a source of environmental issues like greenhouse gases, water pollution, land degradation, and biodiversity. Such duality requires coming up with efficient legal, regulatory and technological solutions.