A new analysis of an application of low-carbon pre-selecting technology (LCPT) for minerals: An evolutionary game model among stakeholders

Mineral low-carbon pre-selecting technology (LCPT) is a new high-efficiency and environmentally friendly process for low-grade mineral resources developed in recent years, and plays a crucial role in achieving carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction in the mining industry. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore how to promote the widespread adoption of the LCTP in mines smoothly, and carry out the innovation of the LCPT in mineral processing plants. In contrast to the previous literature, this paper first establishes a three-way evolutionary framework to study the adoption of the LCPT at the micro level. By describing the conflict of interests between the Chinese government, mines and mineral processing plants in the adoption of the LCPT, an evolutionary game model is established, the stability of evolution is analyzed, and the dynamic evolutionary process of the system is expounded. The study finds that: (i) Mines are likely to provide low-carbon pre-selected minerals in the long term, indicating that their decision-making integrates value-added benefits, costs, and negative impacts, regardless of initial willingness. (ii) Mineral processing plants prefer to enhance their production lines, with innovation costs influencing strategic decisions within a range of 5-7, underscoring the need for process optimization and efficient technology adoption to achieve sustainable development. (iii) The regulator's strategy shift is influenced by human resource input costs; a cost difference of 2-3 affects the threshold for changing strategies, while a larger disparity reduces the regulator's supervision willingness.