On 7th March 2023, the H2020 BIORECOVER project organised an online seminar series with the collaboration of the following European projects: ION4RAW, EIS, AfricaMaVal and SCRREEN.
Raw materials are key to the energy transition, a major challenge to today’s world. Global demand for raw materials is expected to more than double to 167 billion tonnes by 2060 (OECD). Therefore, reliable access to raw materials is critical for Europe to reach its climate ambition of Net Zero by 2050. It is essential that a sustainable supply of raw materials is created and maintained due to the EU’s high reliance on raw materials for its growth, competitiveness, and transition to a greener Europe. However, this is not happening at the scale needed to meet this demand. Thus, unlocking unexploited ore reserves for sustainable value chains must be developed to achieve Europe’s climate, security, and economic ambitions.
This webinar series presented innovative and transformative tools and strategies that can improve the sustainability of Europe’s raw material value chains. Leading experts shared their experiences and outline the opportunities seek through their projects to develop sustainable raw material value chains, as well as challenges faced.
The series is composed of the three following seminars :
- Establishing responsible global partnerships
- Improving the sustainability of critical raw materials extraction
- Researching unexploited European reserves
This online seminar series was intended for all types of audiences willing to discover challenges related to opportunities related to critical raw materials and discuss solutions with experts.
The first seminar of the series focuses on Europe’s need to diversify its supply chain and engage in strategic partnerships with resource-rich third countries. Experts shared their experiences in building such value chain networks before opening this perspective to networks members point of view.
Agenda Seminar 1:
- Welcome remarks
by Sam Whittlesey, LGI Sustainable Innovation, moderator - Pitch presentation – The AfricaMaVal project
by Zenzi Awases, AWIMA (Association of Women in Mining in Africa) - Pitch presentation – The SCRREEN Network
by Stephane Bourg, BRGM (French Geological Survey) - Panel expert discussion
- Nabeel A Mancheri, REIA (Rare Earth Industry Association)
- Stephane Bourg, BRGM
- Zenzi Awases, AWIMA
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The SCRREEN3 project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement N° 101138060