As the new generation steps into adulthood, they are navigating an increasingly complex world shaped by rapid technological advances, shifting social dynamics, and, above all, an urgent climate crisis.
Mission Australia’s annual Youth Survey, which is the largest of its kind in the nation, reveals a profound shift in the concerns of young Australians. The survey identifies the four biggest issues on our youth’s minds — and at the heart of this generational shift lies a pivotal industry – mining.
More than 17,400 young people aged 15 to 19 responded to Mission Australia’s survey, which revealed among the most pressing issues youth face, climate change, mental health, safety, and the cost of living as the top four concerns. However, what often goes unexamined is how these issues intertwine with industries like mining, which plays a central role in shaping the world they will inherit.
One survey example comes from a 16-year-old from Tasmania, who shared her thoughts with Mission Australia, saying “climate change impacts my thinking and feelings into a much more negative view on the world and my future”.
“My behaviour is impacted as I try to be more environmentally aware of my actions,” she says.
The solution, not the problem
The mining sector plays a pivotal role in relation to climate change and environmental issues. The sector supplies raw materials essential for renewable energy technologies and the road to net zero, such as providing solar panels, wind turbines, and EVs.
Solar panels are predominantly made up of glass and plastic, while also made up of 8% aluminium, 5% silicon, 1% copper, and less than 0.1% silver and other metals.
Wind turbines are made up of several minerals including aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, neodymium, nickel, and zinc. The World Bank estimates that the mining sector will see a 250% rise in demand for the key minerals used in wind turbines.
Several other metals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earths are crucial to develop clean energy solutions.
According to consulting network Arthur D Little, copper demand is forecast to increase by 1.3x between 2023 and 2030, while nickel is forecast to increase by 1.8x.
The projected increase in demand for minerals needed for the green transition and emissions abatement is driving demand for stepped-up production and new mines, which in turn, increases the need for investment.
Arthur D Little says while critical for the world to meet net zero emission goals, the metals and the mining industry are responsible for 8% of the world’s carbon footprint. Most emissions come from refining and electrolysis.
As such, the mining industry is increasingly adopting sustainable practices including reducing emissions, improving efficiency, and investing in environmental restoration efforts.
The sector continually seeks to lower water use, improve waste management, as well as protect biodiversity and local communities. Arthur D Little says this is reflected in increasing regulation across the world.
Yet, despite the potential benefits of mining in solving climate change problems, there remains a significant gap in understanding. Younger generations have become torn between the urgent need for sustainability and the industry’s historical impact on the environment.
For this generation, the mining sector must not only deliver on the promise of clean energy but also prove that it is acting responsibly in its methods and practices.
The keys to bridging the gap
Suzy Urbaniak, founder of CoRE Learning Foundation, says there is a complex relationship between mining and sustainability.
“We need more mining to fully decarbonise and put this energy transition process into action,” Urbaniak tells Mining.com.au.
“Again, paradoxically, the mining industry is solving the problem.”
CoRE Learning Foundation equips students with science, technology, engineering, and math skills, such as collaboration, communication, problem solving, data and digital literacy. The non-profit organisation does this through a project-based framework, preparing students for the diversity of careers beyond 2030.
Urbaniak is calling for a shift in narrative, one that educates the public on how mining is integral to achieving sustainable goals. She adds that the minerals and resources sectors are actively working to find and produce critical minerals locally in Australia, aiming to reduce global dependency on monopolised supply chains.
Earlier last year, Australia ranked the leading supplier of the minerals the world needs to reach net zero, according to the latest Australia’s Identified Mineral Resources report.
Not only is Australia home to an abundance of critical minerals, but it is the world’s largest producer of lithium. It is also among the top five producers globally for gold, iron ore, lead, zinc, and nickel.
According to the World Economic Forum, 106,000 tonnes of lithium was produced globally in 2021. Out of 106,000 tonnes, 55,400 tonnes were produced in Australia — which means the nation produced more than 50% of the world’s lithium.
Australia’s official critical minerals list includes 31 minerals and according to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the nation is home to some of the largest recoverable critical mineral deposits on earth, including cobalt, lithium, manganese rare earths, tungsten, and vanadium.
A path forward for mining
Mission Australia’s survey reveals that nearly half of young adults in Australia want the companies they work for to show a clear communication to ESG. For the younger generations, ESG is not just a buzzword — it’s a non-negotiable expectation.
As younger generations demand more from companies in terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, the mining sector finds taking on a more educational role.
Mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) alongside educational institutions, is advocating for greater emphasis on mining’s critical role in schools and universities.
Rio Tinto has several education-based initiatives that provide schools, parents, and students access to relevant information, opportunities, and guidance that empowers them to make informed choices about the career pathways into mining.
One of the initiatives is a two-year graduate program that provides participants with the tools and skills to innovate and invent. Every year, the company provides hundreds of early career opportunities across Western Australia in communities in which it operates.
Rio Tinto is focused on net zero emissions from its operations by 2050. The company is currently on track to achieve its 2030 target of reducing emissions by 50% through the support of governments, communities, and industry partnerships.
In August 2024, young women from across the state celebrated the completion of the Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) six-month Girls in Resources Leadership Skills (GIRLS) mentoring program.
The mentoring program, involving 20 Year 12 students, connected them with experienced female mentors who work in the resources industry. The GIRLS program is delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), in partnership with Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ).
Wavell State High School student Charlotte Congram did the program to connect with more girls who were interested in STEM and to obtain more knowledge about working in the industry.
“I am keen to study engineering and maths next year and having a mentor who is experienced in these fields through her role at BHP (ASX:BHP) has motivated me to pursue a career as a mining engineer,” Congram said at the time.
The BHP Mitsubishi Alliance is the platinum sponsor for the GIRLS program and has been a supporter since its inception six years ago. BMA’s Head of Human Resources Tamara Barden says the program connects students with a mentor who can help guide them as they make decisions about their tertiary and training.
Professional services firm Accenture says with COP29 wrapped up and the 2025 ESG regulations in full swing, global attention on corporate climate action, from the majors like BHP and Rio Tinto to smallcaps, has never been more urgent.
Accenture’s Destination Net Zero 2024 report, based on an analysis of the world’s 2,000 largest companies which are mostly mining, reveals that one in six are on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050. According to the report, 68% of Australia’s largest companies set full net zero goals in 2024, down from 75% in 2023.
By integrating ESG principles into mining companies and operations, the businesses are able to attract the interest of younger workers who are passionate about sustainability.
Robert Tyson, CEO of Mining International, underscores the importance of ESG in attracting not only investments, but talent and more specifically younger people.
“There’s a limited pool of money coming into the mining sector at present, and that investment will go to the companies that have better ESG programs and initiatives,” Tyson says.
More and more mining companies across the globe are becoming increasingly committed to a net-zero emissions target by 2030.
Last year, Mining.com.au recognised QMines as its inaugural Exceptional ESG winner as it is focused on becoming Australia’s first zero-carbon copper and gold producer through its Mt Chalmers and Develin Creek projects.
As QMines transitions towards development, the company has planned to adopt numerous additional ESG strategies that shows its ESG leadership in the industry.
One example is QMines has upgraded its onsite and battery back-up system by adding 6.6 kilowatts of renewable energy generation. The company notes this further allows operations at Mt Chalmers to remain off-grid.
Advocating for better storytelling
Despite mining’s role in facilitating the energy transition, young Australians remain unaware of the sector’s contribution to sustainability.
To cultivate a deeper understanding of the sector’s role in sustainability, industry executives such as Janelle Kerr, President of Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG), are advocating for better storytelling.
Kerr says that there is a lack of understanding amongst youth regarding what geophysics roles really entail and how the sector underpins a lot of the sustainable goals shared.
Although the mining sector plays a pivotal role in sustainability, Kerr tells Mining.com.au that it “does not win the hearts and minds of the people who don’t know what we do”.
Kerr believes that when young people hear the firsthand experiences of geophysicists and other workers in the sector, they will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of mining’s role in the energy transition.
“I haven’t met many geophysicists who don’t love their job. Get them animated and talk about what they and why they bother, and you have a really interesting, informative, and engaging piece of work that actually might make a difference,” she explains.
To bridge this knowledge gap, Jordan Pedley, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Barakee and MAX Plant, as well as President of the Western Australia Mining Club Committee’s Young Professionals, tells Mining.com.au that pushing younger generations into mentoring programs is one way of providing that knowledge.
“I think if you support young workers to go to networking events and create that community, then they feel a part of a community and feel accepted and then they don’t want to leave,” Pedley tells this news service.
Pedley is the inaugural winner of Mining.com.au’s Youth Leader in Mining Award 2024, which recognises a company, individual, or program that advocated for and facilitates employing and training young people in Australia’s mining industry.
Before working with the WA Mining Club, Pedley started her career working alongside her family in their mining services and manufacturing business Striker.
During her years in the family business, Pedley acquired a wealth of knowledge and practical skills specific to the mining industry. She also learnt about running businesses, managing people, government grants, indigenous culture, as well as networking and personal development while being a mentee from the WA Mining Club Emerging Leaders Program.
Through being mentored over the years, Pedley not only earned the respect and trust of her oftentimes older peers, but also gained industry insights which have translated to a better understanding and trust of the sector as a whole.
The key to building trust
While companies within the resources sector and industry executives are valuable in nurturing the next generation of mining professions, there is one issue they are struggling to address — trust.
The mistrust within the sector stems from long-standing concerns about environmental degradation, the sector’s perceived lack of transparency, and the negative portrayal that is sometimes displayed.
Australian Institute of Geoscientists President Dale Sims says the lack of transparency is a critical issue, which has exacerbated the trust deficit between mining companies and the public, specifically youth.
Sims adds that youth may feel that there is a lack of transparency within the sector due to a lot of information not being publicly available. This includes access to mine site footage, particularly when incidents are recorded or reported.
“Why isn’t this stuff public? What isn’t it on the internet? Why can’t people just go and watch what’s going on at a mining operation through CCTV? We just lock it up and we don’t give it to anybody,” Sims tells Mining.com.au.
Sims notes that the key to building trust in the sector is acknowledging the skepticism that young people have towards it.
As the mining sector moves into 2025 and beyond, there are clear indications it must further evolve to meet the expectations of a generation that demands sustainability, a path forward, and transparency.
By investing in education, fostering mentorship, and embracing stronger ESG practices, the industry can turn skepticism into partnership. Ultimately, youth will not just inherit the mining sector, they will reshape it — ensuring it plays an essential part in building a sustainable future for all.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Queensland Resources Council, Rio Tinto & Stock
