BHP and Amazon Pilot Lower-Emissions Copper Market Initiative
Miners BHP and tech giant Amazon have collaborated on an industry-first pilot project to trade lower-emissions credits for copper. The initiative allows companies building AI infrastructure to directly track and verify their supply-chain footprint.
The Escondida mine, a source of copper concentrates and cathodes, supplies the metal used in digital systems and energy infrastructure. The mine sources its electricity from renewable energy and operates using desalinated water.
Copper producers will create and sell Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs) to downstream users to recognize emissions reductions within the copper supply chain. Amazon can then retire these certificates against greenhouse gas emissions associated with copper in their infrastructure, including circuit boards and chips that support AI systems.