It is widely recognised that the supply of responsibly-sourced materials, such as lithium, tungsten, nickel, copper, cobalt, and almost all other minerals and metals, is vital to achieve the energy transition. While recycling and other aspects of the circular economy are critical sources of these materials, the stocks in circulation are not yet great enough for us to be able to rely on recycling alone to provide the scale of infrastructure and technology required over the next 28 years. The extraction of these materials from the ground beneath our feet is therefore a necessity. All activity, however, must be undertaken in a responsible manner.
Responsible mining sometimes gets over-shadowed by events and actions within the sector that illustrate behaviour that is at the opposite end of the spectrum. If, however, we can prove that the mining sector can operate in a responsible manner, it has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the “just” transition, providing an avenue for wealth distribution to all jurisdictions. This presentation will explore what Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) means to the mining sector, and what mining can bring to ESG.
Dr Sarah Gordon was delighted to give this presentation to the University of Exeter on the 23rd February 2022.
Watch the talk here. Download the slides used in the talk below.
