Overview

• PwC’s July 8 report finds that 32% of global semiconductor production could face copper supply disruptions by 2035, up from roughly 8% today.
• The share at drought risk could climb to 58% by 2050 even under aggressive carbon reductions as climate pressures intensify.
• Currently only Chile’s copper—about 7% of chip output—is significantly threatened, but by 2035 most of the 17 top supplier countries will face drought risks.
• Extracting the 19 kilograms of copper needed for chip wiring requires about 1,600 liters of water, underscoring the industry’s heavy reliance on scarce resources.
• Chile and Peru are boosting mining efficiency and building desalination plants, but most producers lack coastal access and no material matches copper’s price-performance