Zinc is one of the key minerals for European green transition. At the same time there is silence around the zinc mining’s risks in worsening climate impacts in Peru.
Peru is one of the key suppliers of European zinc, increasingly used for manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines to meet the climate targets. In Peru, zinc is mined in the Andean region that is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Our investigation shows that the major mines in Peru exporting zinc to Europe pollute the environment and harm the health of local people. This risks deepening climate vulnerabilities in the area.
Despite that, the EU has no binding regulation to control climate or environmental impacts of zinc mining. Neither it provides public information on the mineral imports for transparency. Also the European zinc industry remains silent on the origins of the mineral.
Image by Anna Heikkinen
