UKRI FCDO Senior Research Fellowships (Non-ODA): Critical minerals and supply chains

该研究金的目的是在外交、联邦和发展部安置一名研究人员，研究关键矿物及其供应链的主题领域。关键矿物被定义为对经济活动至关重要的原材料，但供应中断的风险很高。我们的许多现代技术都依赖于关键矿物，包括那些对清洁能源转型日益重要的技术（电动汽车的电池和电机、太阳能电池板、风力涡轮机）。然而，关键矿产对供应链构成了挑战——它们可能在地质上稀缺，只在全球少数几个地方发现；低浓度的；和/或处理起来既困难又昂贵。这些问题加在一起使关键矿物的供应处于危险之中，它们容易受到市场力量、地缘政治和最终用途和生产方法技术变化的影响。关键的矿物供应是通过采矿和回收报废产品来满足的。关键矿物的回收率一般很低，重要的研究领域包括确定优先回收的材料、发展提高回收率的新技术和探索鼓励循环的政策选择。关于地质来源的供应，关键矿物的勘探和开采是技术要求高和资本密集的过程，往往留给私营部门。国家越来越多地参与采矿生命周期，特别是最近宣布的多边矿产安全伙伴关系。特别注重关键矿物的负责任采购，对采矿中的环境、社会和治理（ESG）因素进行更严格的审查。鉴于伦敦市场对矿业公司所有权和金属交易的重要性，英国关于矿业ESG的政策可能会产生全球影响。关键矿物供应与发展有关。一些矿产的供应链受到强迫劳动、不安全劳动条件、童工、不良环境实践、腐败和犯罪的破坏。一些材料来自无证矿山，是一个重要的工作来源和进入现金经济的途径。将手工矿工正规化、改善他们的工作条件并帮助他们摆脱贫困的努力，需要与从供应链中消除犯罪和不负责任材料的要求相平衡。综上所述，英国对关键矿产不断演变的战略观点是探索外交政策、贸易关系和国内政策的国际影响的绝佳机会。我们显然需要发展安全和负责任的供应链，同时改善金属供应的环境和社会绩效，并加强英国与海外合作伙伴在治理、发展、投资和贸易方面的联系。

This Fellowship is to embed a researcher within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the subject area of critical minerals and their supply chains. Critical minerals are defined as raw materials that are essential for economically important activities, but are at high risk of disruption to supply. We depend on critical minerals for a number of modern technologies, including in those with growing importance to a clean energy transition (batteries and motors in electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines). Critical minerals have challenged supply chains though - they may be geologically scarce and found in only a few places worldwide; occur in low concentrations; and/or are difficult and expensive to process. These issues combine to put the supply of critical minerals at risk - they are vulnerable to market forces, geopolitics, and shifting technologies in both end-use and in production methods. Critical mineral supply is met by mining, and recycling of end-of-life products. Recycling rates for critical minerals are generally very low, and important research areas include identifying priority materials for recycling, developing novel techniques that improve recycling rates, and exploring policy options to encourage circularity. With respect to supply from geological sources, the exploration for and mining of critical minerals is a technically demanding and capital-intensive process, often left to the private sector. There is increasing state involvement in the mining lifecycle, particularly with the recent announcement of the multilateral Minerals Security Partnership. There is a particularly strong focus on responsible sourcing of critical minerals, with greater scrutiny of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in mining. Policy in the UK on ESG in mining will likely have global impact, given the importance of London markets on the ownership of mining companies, and trade of metals. Critical mineral supply has links to development. Some minerals move through supply chains blighted by forced labour, unsafe labour conditions, child workers, poor environmental practice, corruption, and criminality. Some materials come from unlicensed mines, and are a vital source of work and access to a cash economy. Attempts to formalise artisanal miners, improve their working conditions, and help lift them out of poverty need to be balanced against the requirements to remove criminal and irresponsible materials from supply chains. In summary, the UK's evolving strategic view of critical minerals is an excellent opportunity to explore the role of foreign policy, trade relations, and the international impact of domestic policy. There is a clear and apparent need to grow secure and responsible supply chains, in concert with improving environmental and social performance in metal supply, and enhancing ties between the UK and overseas partners in terms of governance, development, investment and trade.