Ecological restoration for China’s mines
Hong Yang, Xiang Gao, Jianhua Wu, Julian R. Thompson, Roger J. Flower
Abstract
Ecological restoration for China's minesChina's 1986 Mineral Resources Law, which is undergoing its third revision, now includes a section that requires mining rights holders to formulate ecological restoration plans (1).Although it is an important step forward, the restoration section focuses heavily on remediating toxic waste.China can maximize the revised law's impact by also requiring mining companies to incorporate plans to restore ecosystem services and carbon benefits and to commit to transparency.China's domestic mineral mining production has grown substantially in recent years.In 2023, non-ferrous metal production reached 74.7 million tonnes, a 7.1% increase from 2022 (2).International-ly, China's investments in metals mining soared to US$19.4 billion in 2023, a 158% increase from 2022 (3).Although crucial to the green transition, especially electric vehicle battery production, this expansion has led to environmental degradation, resource depletion, and social inequality in host countries, particularly the "lithium triangle" of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile (4).