Technology

Climate change could pose a threat to the technology industry as copper production is vulnerable to drought, while demand may grow to outstrip supply anyway.

According to a report out today from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), copper mines require a steady water supply to function, and many are situated in places around the world that face a growing risk of severe drought due to shifts in climate.

Copper is almost ubiquitous in IT hardware because of its excellent electrical conductivity, from the tracks on circuit boards to cabling and even the interconnects on microchips. PwC's report focuses just on chips, and claims that nearly a third (32 percent) of global semiconductor production will be reliant on copper supplies that are at risk from climate disruption by 2035.

If something is not done to rein in climate change, like drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions, then the share of copper supply at risk rises to 58 percent by 2050, PwC claims. As this seems increasingly unlikely, it advises both copper exporters and semiconductor buyers to adapt their supply chains and practices if they are to ride out the risk.