Why the energy transition won’t be green until mine waste disasters are prevented

Dr Eva Marquis and Professor Karen Hudson-Edwards recently had a short analysis article published in The Conversation.

The article reveals how the clean energy transition—dependent on minerals like lithium, copper, and cobalt—is fuelling a surge in toxic mining waste, often stored in unstable tailings dams.

In early 2025, a catastrophic dam failure in Zambia released 50 million litres of acidic waste into the Kafue River, contaminating water supplies for over half a million people. Shockingly, this was just one of six major tailings incidents reported globally in the first quarter of the year.

The article argues that without urgent reforms in how mining waste is managed, the green energy revolution risks repeating the environmental injustices of the fossil fuel era. Current safety standards fall short, especially when it comes to legacy sites and long-term ecological damage.

If we want a truly sustainable future, we must confront the hidden costs of the materials powering it.

Read the full article on The Conversation