04/06/2026
New research led by David Edwards, Magdalene Senior Research Fellow) has found that the mining of copper and cobalt, often used for technology like solar panels and mobile phones, triggers extensive deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa.
This deforestation is not only due to the land used for mining, but that which is used to build the infrastructure that supports it: roads, agriculture, and housing settlements. The study found that for every hectare of mine site, another 34 hectares are lost to this infrastructure, particularly impacting, hyper-biodiverse rainforests such as those of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Read the full story here: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/mining-for-clean-energy-metals-driving-widespread-forest-loss-in-africa-study-finds
📷 Esri Wayback Imagery
[ID: side by side comparison of Liberian land in 2014 and 2026, before and after new gold mine opening, displaying huge increase in deforested land. Text reads: NEW RESEARCH, Liberia before and after new gold mine opening.]
