My research uses engineering, science and management approaches to support the transition to a "minerals economy". As society shifts away from tje "fossil economy" based on coal, oil and gas we will need and use more minerals, metals and other raw materials. To avoid mistakes of the past, we need responsible sourcing and low-carbon processing. Circular economy approaches will contribute as sufficient material stocks accumulate, which can be conserved to meet the needs of people today and of future generations. For example, basic raw materials like steel and concrete need to be more sustainable, but technology pathways are not clear and management approaches are also needed. Simultaneously we will be using more scarce and unusual "critical" materials like germanium, tungsten and tantalum that are crucial for a low-carbon and digital technologies.
We draw on approaches and methods in social science, business scholarship, and engineering:
- Life-cycle assessment (LCA) -- including LCIA methodologies for assessing mineral resources
- Sustainability standards and management systems -- ISO 14001, 22095, 45001, 50001 and private voluntary private standards on responsible sourcing
- Auditing, assurance and certification -- like distributed ledger approaches for assurance.
Projects
Lumet (2024-2027) - a Canadian funded research project that aims to illuminate the sustainability of metals and minerals along mineral value chains. The project has two foci at the nexus of industrial materials, sustainability and management: 1) Voluntary sustainability standards for mining, minerals and metals; 2) Traceability of minerals, metals and materials.
International Round Table on Criticality (IRTC) -- an on-going multidisciplinary forum, research hub and conference series on critical raw materials intially funded by the European Commission.
TripleLink (2020-2022) - a European EIT project that integrated 3 commercial software packages, linking chemical process sumulation with life cycle assessment.
SusCritMat (2018-2022) - a education project of the IRTC that developed training content on critical raw materials. Free learning materials are available from the website.
Healthcare sustainability -- a new and exciting area for industrial ecology
Conflict minerals -- tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold
ResponsibleSteel -- a multistakeholder voluntary sustainability standards initiative with a focus on sustainability management, responsible sourcing and product greenhouse gas emissions reduction
