April 20, 2026 - The mining sector's environmental footprint extends far beyond extraction sites, rippling through global supply chains and affecting industries from automotive manufacturing to renewable energy.

Hexagon and its subsidiary R-evolution are deploying advanced technology that could reshape how supply chain stakeholders understand and manage mining operations, offering unprecedented transparency into the environmental credentials of raw materials.

Hexagon's green-tech division, R-evolution, has launched airborne LiDAR flights across Vale, a Brazilian mining site, to capture 3D insights and monitor ecological impact – information that could prove crucial for downstream industries increasingly pressured to demonstrate supply chain sustainability.

Through this technology, mining companies could provide verifiable environmental data to their customers, addressing growing demands from manufacturers, regulators and investors for traceable, responsibly sourced materials.

R-evolution's technology is helping improve visibility (Credit: Hexagon)

Supply chain visibility challenges

Hexagon is a global leader in measurement technologies, helping industries build, navigate and innovate across manufacturing, construction and mining. Its green-tech subsidiary, R-evolution, combines the sustainability transition alongside profits.

The mining industry is a significant player in the ongoing energy transition. As renewable sources rely on materials such as lithium and copper, mining companies face greater demand than ever. This surge places pressure on supply chains to scale rapidly while maintaining environmental standards – a balance that remains difficult without comprehensive monitoring systems.

However, mining operations themselves often have a negative environmental impact. This creates a paradox for downstream industries: the raw materials required for electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines may carry significant environmental costs that remain invisible within traditional supply chain documentation.

Deforestation is a major concern surrounding the mining industry, as is the impact on natural resources such as water. Moreover, emissions from extraction processes and transportation contribute to rising temperatures. Though global mining companies have begun switching to more sustainable technology, there is still a lack of visibility into operations. This opacity makes it challenging for supply chain managers to assess the true environmental footprint of their material sources, complicating efforts to meet corporate sustainability commitments and regulatory requirements.

Reclamation efforts are underway in the extractive industry. For supply chains, these efforts could mean the difference between maintaining market access and facing regulatory barriers or customer boycotts.

Hexagon's R-evolution is hoping to play a significant role with its newly launched technology that could provide supply chain partners with verifiable environmental data.

On 15 April 2026, R-evolution announced the launch of its first missions deploying advanced hybrid airborne imagery and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. This is a key part of the Hexagon Green Cubes initiative, working to help drive reclamation efforts in the mining industry while simultaneously creating a digital record that could be shared across supply chains.

Green Cubes is a digital twin which captures complex natural environments, integrating reality capture technologies including satellite and airborne LiDAR and imagery, terrestrial LiDAR, camera traps, acoustic sensors and ground-penetrating radar. Mining companies can provide supply chain partners with access to an integrated 3D environmental monitoring system, offering transparency that traditional certification schemes cannot match.

The insights taken from this model then go through an AI-powered Green Cubes platform to offer a "digital window" into forest ecosystems. This could help downstream manufacturers demonstrate to their customers and regulators exactly where their materials originate and under what environmental conditions they were extracted. Supply chain transparency improves dramatically, potentially reducing compliance costs and reputational risks for companies throughout the value chain.

"Green Cubes is redefining how the extraction industry approaches environmental responsibility – providing transparency from space to the roots," says Erik Josefsson, President of Hexagon's R-evolution.

"By embedding Green Cubes digital reality into the mining life cycle, we're enabling our mining partners to accelerate restoration, improve compliance and unlock new value through natural capital."

The flights are powered by Leica Geosystems' hybrid airborne system, simultaneously capturing LiDAR and high-resolution imagery. This allows the flights to map more than 20 square kilometres to generate a digital twin – creating documentation that could be integrated into supply chain management systems and shared with logistics partners, manufacturers and end customers.

This covers the natural habitats around mining assets, including protected areas and their surrounding landscapes. Mining companies gain highly detailed 3D modelling of the forest structure, with keen precision to provide accurate insights into environmental conditions. It explores trees, ground-level vegetation and can even map the smallest branches to give a thorough image of the surrounding environment.

The aim is to help mining companies monitor biodiversity, assess rehabilitation progress and better manage sustainability efforts. For supply chains, this could mean access to real-time environmental performance data that can be incorporated into procurement decisions and sustainability reporting.

Hexagon is encouraging mining companies to be more transparent and responsible—qualities that could become competitive advantages as supply chain regulations tighten globally and customers demand proof of responsible sourcing.

This technology is already being deployed by Vale, one of the world's largest iron ore producers, at its Mina de Águas Claras site near Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It is a 1,908-hectare mine currently undergoing a repurposing project. Since deploying Green Cubes, Vale reports having gained more notable environmental monitoring results that could be shared with steel manufacturers and other downstream customers.

It has spotted its first Puma concolor in 10 years and recorded the first maned wolves on video at the site. More than 140 bird species have been identified across 90 days due to AI-enhanced camera and sound traps. With the addition of the LiDAR flights, there will be an entire mapping of the 20 km² area in full 3D at 10-centimetre resolution – creating a comprehensive environmental baseline that supply chain partners can reference.

Green Cubes is also trying to encourage younger generations to get involved in mining and conservation, which could help build a workforce better equipped to manage sustainable supply chains. Through a gamification technique blended with education, Green Cubes is using Minecraft to connect with these people. Within the game, the mining site can be recreated, allowing players to explore nature, learn about biodiversity and gain insights into how mining can impact and work alongside reclamation. An initial test hosted 14,000 individual players.

Another major iron ore producer, Samarco, is deploying Green Cubes across its operations, with potential expansion into wider areas. As more mining companies adopt this technology, supply chain visibility across the sector could improve significantly, potentially establishing new standards for material traceability and environmental documentation.

Through this technology, education and collaboration, Hexagon is helping mining companies provide the transparency that modern supply chains increasingly require. As mining companies face greater demand, supply chain partners need access to these insights to make informed procurement decisions, meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate materials are sourced responsibly.