# Copper: Emissions

How recycling cuts copper's carbon footprint

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/emissions/

How recycling cuts copper's carbon footprint What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 3.60 t CO2e per t range 1.2-6 · cradle-to-gate, global average of ICA member data; Aurubis cathode with 44% recycled input was 1.25 t in 2025 Global emissions per year 100 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · copper production is about 0.2% of global GHG emissions (ICA, 2018 data); cross-check 23-29 Mt x 3.6 t

Per t of refined copper (cathode), cradle-to-gate. Intensity: ICA 2023 global average (3.638 kg CO2e/kg), as cited in Aurubis LCA cathode factsheet, Oct 2026. Global total: ICA GHG Measurement guidance 2022; derived.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Extraction 55% Refining / processing 38% Movement 6%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Extraction** | about 2.0 t CO2e/t (mining and concentration) | 55% | diesel haul trucks, electricity for crushing and grinding | Dominates the footprint and rises as ore grades fall | Aurubis 2026 (concentrate dominates); share indicative |
| **Refining / processing** | about 1.4 t CO2e/t (smelting, refining, SX-EW) | 38% | smelter fuel and power, electrorefining; SX-EW electrowinning power | Grid mix matters most: Chinese and Indian coal power raises intensity | Aurubis 2026; share indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.2 t CO2e/t | 6% | trucking and bulk shipping of concentrate (about 3-4 t of concentrate per t of copper) | Concentrate from Chile to China travels about 19,000 km | Indicative |
| **Usage** | none directly; enabling | – | no emissions in use | Copper cuts losses in motors, transformers and grids, and is essential for EVs, wind and solar | this tile's lessons |
| **Recycling / end of life** | secondary copper roughly 0.5-1.5 t CO2e/t, about 60-80% lower than primary (indicative) | – | scrap collection, remelting and refining | Recycled copper met 32-33% of demand in 2023; EU end-of-life recycling input rate 55% | ICSG via BRGM 2024; EU CRM 2023; Aurubis 2026 (indicative) |

#### Other environmental impacts

Large tailings dams and water use in arid Chile and Peru; sulphur dioxide from smelters, captured as sulphuric acid at modern plants; acid mine drainage. The Tuticorin smelter in Tamil Nadu was shut in 2018 after protests over pollution.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Renewable power purchase deals for concentrators and refineries in Chile
- Trolley-assist and battery haul trucks to replace diesel
- More recycling: secondary copper has a fraction of the primary footprint
- Efficient flash smelting with sulphuric acid recovery and waste heat use
- Ore sorting and coarse particle flotation to cut grinding energy

#### India

India refines about 620 kt of copper from imported concentrate (USGS 2025e), so its mine emissions fall abroad, but smelting at Dahej and Mundra uses a grid of about 0.7 t CO2 per MWh (CEA CO2 Baseline Database, indicative).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/links/index.md)