2653 Figure 4 – Sensitivity of GWP to change in key variables (a – copper and b – iron cases) These findings suggest that near-term decarbonisation gains are most effectively achieved through procurement or generation of lower-carbon electricity and optimisation of grinding energy, with continuous improvement pursued in consumables and reagents via supplier engagement and operational practice. 5. LCA AS A ROADMAP FOR THE SCOPE 3 RESIDUAL The mining sector has made strong progress in lowering Scope 1 and 2 emissions through renewables and electrification, but a large share of the remaining footprint now lies in Scope 3, embedded in consumables, wear materials, reagents and services. Emerging disclosure rules require companies to measure and report value-chain emissions, and the IFRS S2 Climate-Related Disclosure Standard [6] now requires companies to disclose material Scope 3 emissions with high-quality, GHG Protocol-aligned data. This shifts attention to more reliable accounting for purchased goods, consumables, and other indirect costs. Despite this, many plant-level decisions still rely on generic EFs for materials or treat consumables as secondary to energy. This can underestimate the role of wear parts and reagents and overlook location effects. Also, policies such as the CBAM [7] are moving from voluntary transparency to regulated compliance, reinforcing the need for auditable, site-specific accounting. Within this context, this study applies ISO-aligned LCA as a practical way to make Scope 3 visible and actionable in mineral processing plants. The approach used clear gate-to-gate boundaries, a functional unit of 1 tonne of concentrate, and three main emissions drivers – electricity, wear materials and reagents – together with a Scope 3 data hierarchy that prioritises supplier-specific information. The complete inventories, EFs, results and sensitivity analyses are shown in Tables 1–5 and Figures 2–4. Across the three flowsheets, electricity dominates where power demand and grid intensity are high, while wear materials and reagents remain meaningful contributors in all cases. In copper, electricity accounts for most of the total intensity; in iron and lithium, where grids are less carbon-intensive, wear and reagents together represent nearly half of emissions. Sensitivity analyses further show that electricity EFs and grinding energy have the strongest influence on the result, supporting continued attention to electricity sourcing and comminution efficiency. These outcomes are consistent with broader industry experience that Scope 3 can dominate residual emissions and needs to be managed systematically. The results also highlight why changes should be assessed at flowsheet level. Increasing liberation through more aggressive grinding may raise media/liner consumption, and reducing reagent dosage may inadvertently increase embedded emissions if replacement chemicals are from more carbon-intensive supply chains. Evaluating such options within a shared LCA boundary helps avoid burden-shifting and supports decisions that reduce overall kg CO2e per tonne of concentrate while maintaining metallurgical performance. Finally, the study identifies three practical levers for continuous decarbonisation. Improving electricity quality through location-specific factors, PPAs, or onsite renewables remains a major opportunity where grids are carbon-intensive. Consumables can be decarbonised through supplier-specific data, recycled content, extended wear life and circular programs for take-back and remanufacture. Reagent use can be refined by optimising dosage and sourcing. Together, these actions align with emerging disclosure and embedded emissions rules and position LCA not only as a reporting tool but also as operational decision aid. -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% Elec EF Wear EF Reagents EF Grinding elec Change in GWP b) Iron case sensitivity
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