The Critical Minerals Association (CMA (UK)), Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3), Institute of Quarrying (IQ), Mineral Products Association (MPA), Mineral Products Qualification Council (MPQC) and Mining Association of the UK (MAUK) have jointly written an open letter to UK universities to provide information about the key role of materials, minerals and mining in daily life and the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and resource-efficient society.
The signatories state that they have come together to support decision-making and to emphasise the need for a high-quality education and training pipeline for a skilled, responsible and sustainable materials, minerals and mining workforce.
The Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials (Royce) recognises that while we will need more of the critical materials used to power our society, in parallel we also need to maximise the utilisation of what we have available, close the loop on what we use and look to sustainable alternatives. The research, development and innovation skills the UK materials community needs to develop through skills, outreach and education activities, are key to delivering all of this.
The industry letter states that as global demand for the resources required for modern life – including for our homes, transport systems, healthcare and clean-energy technologies – continues to rise, moving to decouple economies from reliance upon virgin resource use and towards a more circular economy will be crucial.
It says that in the short- to medium-term, however, this will not be sufficient. As extraction of resources will continue to play a role in meeting society’s demands, it is vital that it is done in a responsible way that considers environmental, carbon and social impacts.
