The world needs critical minerals and Australia has them, but consumers don't want a 'dirty' electric car or cheap labour in their solar panels.
"The climate is changing and we have decided as a community to face climate change," Martin Perez de Solay, CEO of rapidly growing lithium producer Allkem, told an international mining conference on Wednesday.
Lithium, as a business in itself, would not exist without that commitment, he said in Brisbane on day three of the World Mining Congress.
The race is on to aggressively ramp up supplies of critical minerals, and break China's monopoly on processing, but the risk is that the world may not change fast enough to limit global warming to 1.5C.
And without high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards as mining expands, the world won't mitigate climate risks, Mr Perez de Solay said.
He said Allkem takes a broad view of sustainability that extends beyond the environment, communities, safety and governments to include the customer.
"No one wants a 'sustainable' electric vehicle made from unsustainable minerals," the industrial engineer said.
Investors also need to trust the operators who will use their capital for an important and aggressive pipeline of projects, he said.
Rio Tinto spruiked its climate and cultural credentials, pledging to drive change at every level of its business.
Geologist Sinead Kaufman, Rio's chief executive of minerals, said she appreciates "many are sceptical about the ability of the mining industry to deliver on the climate front, beyond issuing ambitious and long-dated targets."
"We need to meet societal expectations and partner with others to mine sustainably."
Rio Tinto blew up the 46,000-year-old Juukan caves in 2020, devastating West Australian custodians and causing global outrage.
It had legal permission to destroy the sacred site but later conceded it breached the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples' trust in doing so.
Ms Kaufman said Rio Tinto made the decision in 2021 to shift into battery minerals, with the lithium market expected to grow five-fold between now and 2030.
A new laboratory the company is building in Bundoora, Victoria, will allow Rio Tinto to test how their minerals perform in electric vehicle batteries.
There is also a drive across the industry to get more out of mine waste and tailings.
For example, Rio produces scandium from titanium dioxide waste streams and extracts tellurium from the copper refining process.
As a result, they have become one of only two producers of these critical minerals used in solar panels and other equipment in the United States.
Blueberries are not usually discussed at a mining conference, but the superfood can be grown with a safety checked fertiliser made from the anhydrite mineral in the waste from Rio's aluminium operations, she said.
More than 3500 delegates from 70 countries have come to Brisbane to tackle challenges for mining, and enjoy the latest gadgets and gizmos in the vast exhibition hall.
CSIRO has its search and rescue robots - including Chilli, named after Bluey and Bingo's mum in the TV show, which is equipped with eight cameras and pincers.
Nearby is a giant Sandvik electro-hydraulic top hammer long hole drill, which also comes in an electric version for the climate-savvy operator.
Thiess and Caterpillar have a live demonstration with two operators on hand to drive semi-autonomous dozers on a mine site more than 800km away.
At Gudai-Darri, Rio's newest iron ore mine in the Pilbara, the company is working with Caterpillar to develop a new fleet of autonomous, zero-emissions haul trucks, as companies try to end their diesel dependence.
"Gudai-Darri could be the first mine in the world to use them," Ms Kaufman said.
