BHP, Amazon Launch Groundbreaking Copper Emissions Pilot

BHP and Amazon have launched a pilot to track lower greenhouse gas emissions in the copper supply chain. The first-of-its-kind program links production from BHP's Escondida mine in Chile with Amazon's infrastructure.

The companies will test the purchase and sale of Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs) associated with copper concentrate and cathodes produced at Escondida, which sources its electricity from renewable energy and uses desalinated water. The pilot aims to address the difficulty of tracking environmental information as a physical tonne of copper moves through smelting, refining, fabrication, and manufacturing.

BHP's group sales and marketing officer Michiel Hovers said the initiative could provide greater transparency while rewarding producers for improved environmental performance. 'This pilot could help develop a practical pathway to connect lower emissions copper producers with end users of copper who want credible and verifiable lower emissions materials,' he said.