On 28th January 2022, UK Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng opened the third Critical Minerals Expert Committee, chaired by BEIS Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Paul Monks.
The expert committee has been set up following CMA’s recommendation to establish a coordinating body to oversee critical minerals in the UK. Further industry recommendations are outlined in the environmental, social & governance paper (ESG), ‘A Blueprint for Responsible Sourcing of Critical Minerals’.
The expert committee draws on knowledge from industry and academia representatives that will feed into the Critical Minerals Strategy expected to be released later this year. We are delighted that several of our members are part of the committee, including:
· Dr Sarah Gordon, CEO at Satarla
· Dr Ian Higgins, Managing Director at Less Common Metals
· Guy Winter, Partner at Fasken
· Jeremy Wrathall, Founder & CEO at Cornish Lithium
We are also pleased to see many of our partners in academia, from Birmingham University, Camborne School of Mines, and the Natural History Museum, taking leadership on critical minerals.
During their latest meeting, the committee discussed the scope of the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. The centre will focus on gathering and analysing data on the supply and demand for critical minerals. The critical minerals list is due to be released as part of the Critical Minerals Strategy and will reflect what is ‘critical’ to the UK’s economy. Read more here.
The CMA will continue to engage with the UK Government in creating an enabling domestic environment for our emerging critical minerals sector. The CMA will also continue to work with industries and international governments to promote the creation of an alternative ESG-compliant supply chain.
The UK Government could become a global leader in responsible sourcing of critical minerals through leadership on ESG and, an active approach to problem-solving.
Summary by Olimpia Pilch, Business Development & Communications Associate, CMA.
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