June 2023
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference examined priorities and next steps for critical minerals in the UK - including developing a broader, more stable and environmentally sustainable supply chain.
It brought key stakeholders together with policymakers to discuss the Government’s UK Critical Minerals Strategy, including:
- the strategy’s delivery plan, and the way forward for increasing domestic production
- measures for improving mining practices, and development of infrastructure for refining and processing
- opportunities for reducing demand, and increasing reuse and recycling
Overall, sessions in the agenda looked at:
- the UK Critical Minerals Strategy: latest developments - key opportunities and barriers - translating government ambitions into concrete planning - the shape those plans might take
- increasing domestic production: providing upstream raw materials for key sectors such as battery-cell and components production
- supply chain: addressing ongoing disruptions and shortages - improving mining practices and productivity - reducing demand - increasing reuse and recycling
- international markets: supporting the growth of commercial partnerships - providing greater certainty - creating opportunities for UK companies in global markets
- geopolitical factors: strategies for reducing reliance on international suppliers that might give rise to strategic or security concerns - promoting advances in trade and ESG initiatives
- investment: attracting private and public funding - research and innovation - building investor confidence
- capabilities: building the UK skills base - growing infrastructure capacity in areas such as refining and recycling facilities
- decarbonisation: developing more environmentally sustainable extraction technologies - growing demand in the minerals sector for clean energy technologies - contribution to net zero policy targets
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with Matthew Hatfield, Policy Lead, Critical Minerals, Department for Business and Trade; and Jeff Townsend, Founder, Critical Minerals Association.
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from the Cabinet Office; DAERA, NI; Defra; DBT; Department for the Economy, NI; DESNZ; Department for Infrastructure, NI; DHSC; DLUHC; DSIT; Dstl; DfT; Environment Agency; FCDO; HMRC; HSE; MCA; the MOD; NIC; ONS; Planning Inspectorate; UK Infrastructure Bank; The Scottish Government; and the Welsh Government.
