Rare earth sustainability critical for green revolution

Investment in the supply of rare earths, including better waste management and recycling, is essential if the UK is going to undergo a green industrial

What happened

A stable supply of technology-critical metals (TCMs) such as rare earths, lithium and cobalt is essential for emerging clean-energy technologies including electric vehicle batteries and permanent magnets used in efficient motors and generators. Demand for these materials is expected to grow exponentially over the next 20 years as a result of the global race towards next generation clean-energy technologies.

Why it matters

The conclusions come in a new report produced by the University of Birmingham, ‘Securing Technology-Critical Metals for Britain’. It was produced in collaboration with leading academic, industry and public sector experts representing affected industries including automotive, aerospace, offshore wind, pharmaceuticals, metals processing, and recycling.

The report highlights the need for the UK to develop a proactive strategy in its acquisition and management of these materials, to keep pace with other national strategies such as those developed by the US, Japan, the EU and China.

The report identifies several key approaches to the challenge:

This news brief is based on reporting published by Recycling International on 2021-04-01. The original report is linked below.