Copper case study: Australian resources, technology and future scenarios

摘要: This report provides a comprehensive data-compendium on copper to explore the links between resources, technology and changing environmental impacts over time as a basis for informing future research priorities in technology and resource governance.A comprehensive analysis of how the geological characteristics of copper resources in the world are changing is performed such as analysing the ore grade trends. Global and national copper resources in addition to key copper mines are investigated. Furthermore, demand and production trends and economic considerations of mining are also investigated. Finally, the environmental impacts of different stages in copper mining are quantified and analysed using life cycle impact assessment with a focus on the effect of regional and time specific factors.