Renewable energy is undoubtedly picking up steam—even among fossil fuel extraction companies themselves.
The world’s biggest shipper of seaborne coal, Glencore, boosted its share of renewables one point to 19 percent, according to its 2017 sustainability report. The company is deploying renewable energy in the remote areas in which it mines, and supports policies that reduce emissions while maintaining energy security.
At the same time, it asserts that coal will remain an integral part of the global energy mix. “While it is clear that the relative share of renewable energy will grow, the absolute volume of fossil fuels will also grow due to overall growth of energy demand,” the report said.
Glencore isn’t alone. Rio Tinto uses even more renewable energy—about 36 percent. Most of it comes from hydropower, which the company uses for aluminum smelting.
Mining giant BHP Billiton currently gets less than 2 percent of its energy from renewable sources. The firm says it will continue to explore renewables, however. It is currently contributing to the Lakeland Solar and Storage project in Australia.
Anglo American sources roughly 12 percent of its energy from renewables. It is working on biomass, wind, and solar projects to increase that share.
Read more at Reuters.