Water recycling rates among top mining companies have stagnated since 2021, according to the ESG Mining Company Index.
The mining industry is a significant consumer of water, which plays key roles in mineral production from extraction to processing. The industry's water withdrawals can have negative environmental consequences and lead to disputes with competing water users, including communities and farmers.
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Produced by Mining Journal Intelligence and Mining Magazine Intelligence, the ESG Mining Company Index included an assessment of top mining companies' water withdrawal intensity - operational water withdrawals per unit of production - and water recycling and reuse rates. These indicators were weighted evenly to rank the top mining companies on their water usage, aiming to identify top performers and how the sector is performing as a whole.
Sixty of 61 companies assessed reported water withdrawal figures. Water recycling/ reuse data was not as widely reported, with only 51 companies publishing annual figures.
Recycling rates dip
Water data gathered for the ESG Mining Company Index shows the industry's water efficiency drive appears to have hit the buffers. Of 51 reporting companies, water recycling/reuse rates averaged 56.2% in 2023.
Among the 40 companies for which data was found for previous years, average rates have fallen, from 59.6% in 2021 to 58.4% in 2023.
The report also shows that huge improvements in water recycling are possible; almost a quarter of the 51 companies (13) evaluated reported recycling rates of 80% or more.
Top performers: Water recycling
Zijin Mining had the highest water recycling rate in 2023, with 94.8% of operational water recycled. The company was the top performer overall in the water category, scoring 98.8. Zijin Mining's approach to water management focuses on choosing projects with the best site locations, which contributes to their effective water management plans.
CSN Mineracao had the second highest recycling rate of 88.2% in 2023, and placed second overall in the water category, with a score of 96.5.
To access the full list of company rankings for the water category, click here.
More about the ESG Mining Company Index
The inaugural ESG Mining Company Index covers over 7000 data points and evaluates 61 of the world's largest mining companies through nine weighted indicators across six critical pillars: carbon emissions, Water, Land disturbance, Safety, Diversity and Social investment.
To access the full report today, click here.
