KEY POINTS
- South Africa’s mining sector employed over 470,000 people and contributed R439 billion to GDP in 2025.
- Minerals Council launched its updated 2026 Climate Change Position ahead of COP31 in Turkey.
- The council called for a practical energy transition that supports investment, jobs and economic growth while reducing emissions.
South Africa’s mining industry has called for climate action and economic growth to work together, arguing that investment in the sector is essential to reducing emissions, protecting jobs and supporting the country’s transition to a lower-carbon economy.
The Minerals Council South Africa made the position clear during its inaugural Climate Change Day of Learning on October 30, 2026, where mining executives, government representatives and climate specialists discussed the industry’s role in addressing climate change ahead of the COP31 global climate negotiations.
The event, held under the theme Mining, climate action and the road to COP31, focused on balancing environmental commitments with the need to attract investment, improve mining competitiveness and sustain economic development.
Mining industry faces growing climate pressure
Minerals Council South Africa senior climate specialist Shalendra Subramoney said climate considerations were increasingly influencing how businesses operate, particularly in areas such as investment decisions, competitiveness and access to international markets.
He noted that climate change was creating both challenges and opportunities for mining companies, regardless of their size or the commodities they produce.
According to Subramoney, mining companies are under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen their ability to withstand the physical effects of climate change. However, he argued that these responsibilities should not undermine efforts to expand production, attract capital and create employment.
He maintained that a financially stronger and more investable mining industry would be better positioned to fund decarbonisation initiatives, adopt new technologies and improve operational resilience.
The Minerals Council believes environmental sustainability and economic expansion should therefore be treated as complementary objectives rather than competing priorities.
Minerals Council senior executive for environment, health, legacies and employment relations, Shamini Harrington, said the mining industry occupied an important position in both South Africa’s economic development and the global transition to cleaner energy.
In her keynote address, Harrington explained that mining had a responsibility to reduce its environmental footprint while continuing to supply the minerals and metals required for renewable energy, electrification, infrastructure development and technological innovation.
She described the industry’s position as a dual responsibility, noting that mining must participate in the transition by improving its own environmental performance while providing the raw materials needed to make that transition possible.
Harrington highlighted the sector’s contribution to the South African economy, stating that mining employed more than 470,000 people in 2025, contributed over R439 billion to gross domestic product and generated approximately R31 billion in tax revenue.
