In the past, the mining industry in general and metallurgical plants in particular were sources of air pollution in their host regions, in terms of both greenhouse gases and particulate matter (PM). However, thanks to technological advances and much stricter legislative requirements, the industry is beginning to change. In addition, companies often implement projects and initiatives to improve ecology and the quality of life of local communities by themselves, recognizing the importance of interaction with the population and environmental protection. The times when ecology was of little concern to mining companies are a thing of the past.
One of the important areas of environmental protection in regions where metallurgical enterprises are located is air quality control. This is facilitated by continuous monitoring systems, including high-resolution data collection in real time in various areas around mining and industrial enterprises. They allow immediate response to problematic situations and mitigate the negative impact on the environment. Leading Russian and foreign mining and metallurgical companies have already implemented a number of measures to reduce emissions - both greenhouse gases in accordance with the provisions of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and other pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, to the limits permitted by national legislation in various countries.
Quality of air, quality of life, and legislation
The World Bank estimates that health problems caused by air pollution cost the global economy $5.7 trillion annually, or about 4.8% of global GDP, and it can cost individual countries up to 5% to 14% of their GDP.
While poor air quality is harmful to human health worldwide, the most devastating effects of air pollution are observed in economically developing countries. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 90% of deaths caused by ambient air pollution occur in developing nations, with the majority being in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asian countries. However, according to the same study, 99% of the world's population lives in regions where air quality does not meet WHO’s standards.
This is why air quality control is not only a task for individual companies, but also for governments and, consequently, for the entire global community. Currently, permissible levels of air pollution are set by legislation in individual countries, but the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) encourages states to actively implement ambient air quality standards. The organization has issued its own guide to national legislation to promote the implementation of reliable air quality management systems.
As for mining, one of the components of this issue, industry organizations such as the International Council of Metals and Mining (ICMM) are already working on solutions to address the problem of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. ICMM is actively engaging with its 35 member companies to achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Legislation in individual countries sets air quality standards for mining companies and is often aimed at solving the problems of certain regions with high levels of pollution. For example, the Clean Air Act in the United States gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the rights and responsibilities to protect and improve the air quality in the country. The law regulates dust emissions from mine operations, exhaust gases from mining equipment, and emissions from metallurgical plants.
According to a number of studies, this law has allowed the United States to save, by various estimates, from $2 to $3.8 trillion annually due to the prevention of pollution-related deaths and the preservation of the environment as a whole. From 1990 to 2008, air pollution from industrial enterprises has reduced by more than 60%.
Governments across the globe are becoming increasingly informed about positive effects of improving the environmental situation. For example, in 2019, the Russian Federation has launched the Clean Air federal project, a part of the Ecology national project, aimed at reducing the level of air pollution in large industrial cities. The key near-term objective of the project is to reduce the total volume of pollutant emissions by 2 million tonnes, or more than 20%, by 2026. A number of measures were implemented to achieve this goal, including the modernization of industrial enterprises, reducing the share of coal in heating, and increasing the share of transport on electricity and gas. The longer-term target value of the project is a twofold reduction in emissions of hazardous pollutants by 2036.
During the implementation of the national project, it was possible to reduce the volume of pollutant emissions from 2017 baseline value by more than 265,000 tonnes, or 12.8%, and hazardous pollutants - by 13.3%. Russian mining companies played an important role in this achievement.
Nornickel launches its latest automatic air monitoring system
Just recently, Norilsk Nickel has officially launched an automatic air quality monitoring system in Monchegorsk, a host city for its subsidiary, Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company. The group previously implemented a similar system in Norilsk. This was one of the first projects in Russia that allows for online monitoring of air pollution levels in the city.
The new advanced digital platform features a real-time tracking of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, as well as suspended PM (dust and soot). The measurement data is publicly available. The system takes into account not only industrial emissions from the Kola MMC, but also other sources of pollution, including household and transport emissions.
Monitoring systems were deployed as the company is working on a significant reduction in emissions in these cities. In Monchegorsk, Nornickel has already reduced emissions by 90%, and in Norilsk, it has implemented a unique Sulphur Program at the Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant. By May 2025, it had reduced air pollutant emissions by 23.5%. After the program reaches its design capacity by 2026, emissions are expected to decrease by 45% compared to the 2015 baseline value.
In February of this year, the minister of natural resources and environment of Russia Alexander Kozlov highly praised Nornickel's environmental projects, noting that they are an example of cooperation between the government and business in environmental protection. In one year of its operation, the Sulphur Program captured and neutralized 389,000 tonnes of metallurgical gases, which is comparable to the volume of emissions in large industrial cities in Russia. Thanks to these innovative solutions, Norilsk is gradually losing its status as one of the most polluted cities in the country.
Domestic metallurgical companies and the fight for air quality in single-industry towns
In Russia, many metallurgical enterprises are located in single-industry towns and are the main source of employment and social infrastructure. Because of that, environmental and air quality issues directly affect local communities. A number of Russian companies in this sector are beginning to realize their role in maintaining the ecosystem and are implementing their own measures to support environmental initiatives, often in conjunction with the authorities.
For example, Severstal organized the air quality monitoring in Cherepovets, where the company's main asset, the Cherepovets Steel Mill, is located. The system tracks the content of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, CO, hydrogen sulfide, and PM. According to the company, the solution "meets pressing demands from the population, openly demonstrates the work being carried out at the Cherepovets Steel Mill in terms of reducing the load on the atmospheric air, and provides a convenient and efficient way to obtain up-to-date information about the environmental situation in the city."
In 2019, NLMK Group built a chemical product recovery complex in the coke division of the Novolipetsk Steel Mill to improve coke gas purification, which allowed to halve the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Work was also carried out to reduce dust emissions by 90%, hydrogen sulfide emissions by 3.5 times, and to almost completely capture metal dust and graphite. According to the company, the reconstruction of the converter department made it possible to create the most highly productive and environmentally friendly steelmaking enterprise in Europe and make Lipetsk "the cleanest center of Russian metallurgy".
Since 2019, RUSAL has been contributing to the Clean Air project. The company plans to transfer half of the capacity of the Bratsk Aluminum Smelter and the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Smelter to an improved aluminum production technology, which will reduce emissions of pollutants, including fluorine, and increase economic efficiency. By the end of 2024, RUSAL managed to reduce excess emissions into the atmosphere by 50%, and specific emissions of pollutants per tonne of aluminum - by 6.8%.
PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) is implementing an environmental strategy aimed at reducing the comprehensive air pollution index in Magnitogorsk. It projects a tenfold reduction in emissions of extremely hazardous and highly hazardous substances. As a result of the program to date, it was possible to reduce the gross volume of pollutant emissions of the group from 246,000 tonnes in 2018 to 219,000 tonnes in 2024. An online service for checking air pollution levels has also been launched. In 2019, Magnitogorsk was excluded by the ministry of natural resources and environment of Russia from the list of cities with the highest levels of air pollution.
International practice in reducing atmospheric impact
Companies’ efforts to monitor air quality vary depending on the region of their presence. In developed economies, more attention is paid to greenhouse gas emissions, while in developing countries, international organizations are working to implement relatively cheap air quality monitoring solutions that can be applied in the small-scale mining sector. This is especially important if we take into account the fact that developing countries will bear 75% to 80% of the cost burden associated with climate change, according to the World Economic Forum estimate. Therefore, the first step towards reducing atmospheric emissions should be efficient and cost-effective monitoring systems at industrial enterprises.
As for large international mining and metals corporations, their approaches to reducing emissions also vary. For example, Anglo American has chosen a comprehensive approach which includes all operational emissions such as particles and dust, greenhouse and non-greenhouse gas emissions, noise and vibration. According to the company, its proactive approach to reducing environmental emissions includes management and monitoring, and integrates data and rigorous operational standards, which ensures full compliance. In 2024, the company launched a new Non-Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Standard, which combines air quality, noise, vibration and environmental emissions into a single guideline applied in each division. A set of leading and lagging indicators is included in the predictive monitoring of air quality and noise levels in real time.
Mining giant Rio Tinto, on the other hand, has taken a different approach based on ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, the group committed to reducing the annual CO2 emissions from its operations by 50% by 2030, from 3.6 million tonnes currently. The company said its climate and environment team will work with relevant authorities and stakeholders on policy, regulation and disclosure in climate matters.
The world's largest mining group BHP notes that the main source of its greenhouse gas air pollution is diesel vehicle fleet, and therefore its strategy will be aimed at developing and commissioning transport on alternative energy sources. The group also intends to work with its customers to reduce secondary emissions, for example, in the steel industry.
These are just a few examples of how companies around the world are trying to solve the problem of air quality in their host regions. The whole process should be based on an integrated approach: companies will interact with authorities around the globe, and they, in turn, will work to improve environmental legislation, implement measures to aid the environment and promote the best solutions in this area on the world stage.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
