Critical Transitions: Responsible Resource Management in a Complex World

Speaker: Dr Eva Marquis - University of Exeter

Critical Materials are a longstanding concept, with the United States referring to “Strategic Minerals” in 1917 as those for which domestic supplies were inadequate in quantity, quality, or both. In recent decades, awareness of Critical Materials has increased – from the “Rare Earth Crisis” from 2010 to 2015, and more from the vulnerabilities of global supply chains exposed during the COVID -19 pandemic and conflict in Ukraine. Not only are these Critical Materials important for general functioning and security of nations; there are additional pressures being placed particularly on metals value chains from the need for metals for energy transition and sustainable development ambitions.

Circularity strategies have been advocated as a mechanism to enhance critical raw materials (CRM) security in the UK and Europe. Especially in the context of reducing import reliance and thus decreasing supply risk by having domestic/localised cycling of key metals and materials. Circular Economy (CE) principles-based systems may initially appear to contradict continuation of a primary raw materials extractive sector. However, there is a growing body of research examining the development of CE practices in the mining industry, in order to increase resource efficiency by understanding better potential co- and by-products, more efficient extraction and processing, and use/ re-use of waste products.

This talk explores the application of circular economy principles to the mining sector, with a focus on critical metals projects in Cornwall, and more broadly how these principles interface with geology and geoscience’s place in developing responsible resource management systems.

This talk is part of the Sedgwick Club talks series.