Ran Bhamra’s Post

The latest research paper from Lauren Young and Genevieve Kotarska looks at the environmental, social, and governance risks that might result from a rapid expansion of mining for critical minerals to service the energy transition and how we might start to address them. We will be building on this work with a follow on report next year assessing measures the UK specifically might take to ensure a supply of critical materials which is both adequate and ethical. Read the report here - https://lnkd.in/eZFRh82r

Mining is a major source of economic development and resource extraction, but it also poses significant environmental and social challenges. PanNature has been part of the Vietnam Coalition on Mining to work on: ✴ Promoting international standards to well manage #mining industry in Vietnam, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (#EITI), which requires oil, gas and mining companies to disclose information on their financial performance, government payments, and environmental and social impacts. ✴ Conducting research and advocacy on the impacts of #extractive industries on #biodiversity, #ecosystems, human rights, and climate change. For example, PanNature has published reports on the loss of wildlife habitats due to mining activities, the trade-offs between economy and environment in mineral resource allocation, and the need for better management of mineral resources in Vietnam. ✴ Collaborating with other civil society organizations, government agencies, international donors, and media outlets to raise awareness and promote transparency and accountability in the extractive sector. For example, PanNature has joined forces with more than 230 organizations from 62 countries to send a statement to the world leaders at the United Nations COP 27 climate summit in Egypt to urge that human rights and the environment must be protected in the scramble to extract minerals used in clean energy technologies. Two key areas that PanNature continues to contribute: (1) Ecological #restoration of mining sites is the process of restoring the land and ecosystems that have been degraded by mining activities, such as soil erosion, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and #habitat #fragmentation. (2) Ensuring that the benefits from mining projects are equitably distributed among the stakeholders, especially the Indigenous peoples and local communities who are often affected by mining impacts. https://lnkd.in/g_aat7WU

The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act adopted today Today, the #europeanparliament’s industry committee voted to adopt the Critical Raw Materials Act (#CRMA). The next step is for the Council to formally adopt the Act. The overall aim of the CRMA is for the EU to become less dependent on imports of #criticalrawmaterials that are crucial components for the EU’s green and digital transition. These #strategic materials include lithium, cobalt, copper, and titanium. Notably, the Act sets indicative targets: by 2030, the EU should domestically extract 10% and process 40% of the annual consumption of key minerals, and should also EU aim to recycle 25% of the critical raw materials currently ending up as #waste streams. The Act also includes faster #permitting time limits for mining, processing and recycling projects. Ultimately, the #eu wants to limit the foreign share of any critical raw material to a maximum of 65% per year. While many parties acknowledge that this is a step in the right direction, they also point to flaws in the Act such as costs, the lack of financial support that has been seen in the IRA, and the aim to develop sustainable domestic supply chains. #energytransition #lithium #cobalt #copper #titanium

The European Union has reached a deal on targets to increase domestic supplies of critical minerals such as lithium and reduce its foreign dependence. The EU will now identify strategic projects that will benefit from shorter, more efficient permitting and easier access to finance, with an object for the law to enter force early next year. #CriticalMinerals #Lithium #Commodities

While the focus is on New Zealand, this is applicable globally when balancing energy transition, natural capital resilience & social sustainability. We don't have time for the old extractive playbook: generous investment / finance channeled towards preservation & conservation (by local communities) will need to be embedded into critical mineral value chain economics, rather than the vast sums wasted on lobbying against environmental regulation and communities... "To assume foreign landscapes and environments are more expendable raises serious ethical and moral questions that need to be addressed within the current debate over the government’s draft mining strategy." https://lnkd.in/dZKSuJDg #criticalminerals #sustainablemining #energytransition #miningtech #communities #naturalcapital #naturebasedsolutions #carbonmarkets #carbonpricing #valuechain #carbonaccounting #biodiversity #issb #esrs #justtransition #strategicfinance #greenfinance #sustainablefinance #resilience #conservation #preservation #transitionfinance #adaptationfinance #water #landuse Martin Brook

If these rules proceed as planned, this is certainly an unmitigated disaster for the Australian Critical Minerals industry. Sure, in the short term, the politics looks great. However, this is simply down to public ignorance of the relative scale of US and non-US critical minerals demand. Within battery minerals, the USA is 4.4% on average of global demand. The Rest of the World is 95.6% of demand. To curry favor with the USA the Australian Government sold our industry down the river for a net negative return. It is ridiculous. Let this serve as a positively daming indictment of Australian democracy. Our parliamentarians have NOT acted in the Australian National Interest. I have switched my attention to gold as a result. The critical minerals sector is about to enter a very severe #capitaldrought for lack of qualified offtake. Yes, there is value there, but you need to wait for stocks to fall at least another 50% if not 80% IMHO. For the record, the USA is about 3% of global lithium demand and has some of the largest domestic reserves of untapped lithium resources. Minister King has sold our industry down the river.

EU grants final approval to Critical Raw Minerals Act The EU Council has given final approval to its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) as it looks to diversify away from Chinese supply chain dominance. Final approval is the last stage in the process to formally implement the act. The final text, officially adopted on Monday, identifies two lists of materials 34 critical and 17 strategic – that are crucial for the green and digital transitions, as... Read more on the link below https://lnkd.in/gxjR27Ty

CELAR Blog Update #2 In our latest blog, author Anushka Pratyush delves into the transformative changes facilitated by the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 (MMDR Amendment Act). This proactive legislation seeks to bolster the mining and exploration of critical minerals by incentivizing private sector involvement. However, amidst the pursuit of economic progress, concerns emerge regarding its implications for environmental sustainability, energy security, and community welfare. The author meticulously evaluates the significant amendments brought forth by the MMDR Amendment Act, thoroughly analyzing their potential consequences and the challenges they pose, particularly with regard to environmental impact and India's energy security. Link: https://lnkd.in/dnfTCeWA

Critical mineral policy must focus on action, not lists

Critical minerals in demand