The role of critical raw materials in reaching net zero emissions: an ESED expert roundtable
On the 23 March 2021, the Environment, Sustainability & Energy Division (ESED) hosted an online roundtable that asked experts from industry, academia, and policy to consider the challenges and opportunities faced by the chemical sciences in the sustainable use of critical raw materials (CRMs) in technologies such as electric vehicles, batteries, and wind power.
Delivering a transition to a decarbonised future will require billions of pounds of investment in clean energy infrastructure or new low-carbon technologies – such as wind turbines, solar panels, energy storage capacity, and electric vehicles – as well as the Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) that are needed to build them, such as the lithium in the lithium-ion batteries of an electric vehicle or in potential future technologies.
This exploration of the role of CRMs in technology builds on the RSC’s past Elements in Danger campaign that highlighted the precious elements used in consumer tech, as well as the processes needed to mine and refine them that come at considerable environmental cost.
Over the course of this event, our experts discussed how these CRMs are sourced, used, and retained within a circular economy when used in these technologies, identifying a range of both scientific and technological challenges and opportunities. They also explored the wider considerations that must be taken into account when tackling these challenges – such as the academic and industrial collaborations that are critical and the legislative action that should be advocated for.
The event, chaired by Dr Stephen Mudge, President of the Environment, Sustainability & Energy Division, featured keynote speakers Emma Kendrick (University of Birmingham) and Eoin Bailey (Celsa Steel UK), who explored the frontiers of battery development and recycling and implementing the circular economy in an industry context, respectively.
These two thought provoking talks served to stimulate critical discussion between participants from a range of sectors and of different expertise, showcasing a number of cutting-edge examples of innovation from across academia and industry.
The subsequent structured discussion sessions offered participants the opportunity to build on the content explored in the keynote talks, as well as a forum to share their expertise and viewpoints from their respective sectors and fields.
The Environment, Sustainability & Energy Division continues to explore topics of importance to its Research & Innovation community, as well as wider society, and looks forward to interacting with future activity participants in the future.
For more information about ESED or another Division’s events and activities, check out our events webpages.
By Ross Jaggers, Programme Manager, Science Divisions Team
June 2021
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