A report published by the _British Geological Survey_ looks at the UK’s demand for critical minerals.
**Prof Joan Cordiner FREng, Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Working Group on Materials and Net Zero, said:**
“The British Geological Survey findings reinforce the economic importance of critical materials, such as lithium, identified in our recent [NEPC report](https://raeng.org.uk/critical-materials) – these materials are really important for a successful transition to low-carbon energy supply. Government should develop a data-led materials strategy to inform infrastructure and technology planning and encourage design changes that reduce the use of critical materials. For example, cutting the size of the largest electric vehicle batteries by a third could cut the UK’s lithium requirement by 17%, and sodium-ion batteries are being developed that could replace lithium-ion batteries in future, using more abundant sodium.
“We must find ways to reduce demand, reuse and recycle critical materials – at present, recovering critical materials from our machines and personal devices requires highly intricate, expensive processes, and much of our electronic waste goes into landfill, taking valuable materials with it. Globally, 62 million tonnes of e-waste are generated every year, and the UK produces the second highest amount of e-waste per capita.”
**Dr Colin Church, Chief Executive of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3), said:**
“Based on what we currently know about future demand, these claims look robust and in line with what others say.
“The UK will need a range of metals and minerals for its future wellbeing. If there aren’t enough of these being produced, all sorts of everyday things will become more expensive or hard to find, from mobile phones to electric vehicles.
“The world needs to increase the responsible production of metals and minerals to meet future demand, though overall mining volumes will decline as we stop digging up coal, oil, and gas. Some of these metals can be found here in the UK – lithium in Cornwall, for example – and we are already working to increase how much we produce here. Others must be sourced in other countries, so it is important that the UK can continue to trade freely for them on the global market.
“The increase in mining **must** be done responsibly, properly managing the risks to the environment and to the people around the sites. Done badly, the consequences for people and planet can be horrible. Done properly, mining can bring real benefits to local communities with a minimum of environmental disturbance. Governments need to ensure it is done by properly trained and qualified people to make sure we get the latter kind of mining, not the former.
“In terms of the amount in the ground, there is enough to go round. The issue is the cost and difficulty of getting it out, processing it and transporting it to where it can be used. Different metals can be found in different places – Australia has lots of lithium, China dominates rare earth elements, copper can be found in South America, and so on.”
‘A UK foresight study of materials in decarbonisation technologies’ is published by the British Geological Survey.
[https://ukcmic.org/downloads/reports/demand-foresight-studies/ukcmic-foresight-report-synthesis.pdf](https://ukcmic.org/downloads/reports/demand-foresight-studies/ukcmic-foresight-report-synthesis.pdf)
**Declared interests**
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.