Critical Transitions: Circularity, equity, and responsibility in the quest for energy transition minerals

United Nations 2 years ago

The world needs vast quantities of minerals to leave the fossil fuel age behind, but these must be produced in a manner that is neither socially nor environmentally damaging. And, it needs to be done quickly. Unless the minerals used to equip the energy transition are extracted and managed responsibly and efficiently, and the benefits shared equitably across producer and consumer countries, the transition could have negative consequences on communities, development and the environment. Under a business-as-usual scenario, more ambitious climate goals, imply more intensive mineral needs (Ekins et al. Forthcoming). This paper outlines a vision for a future where more efficient, circular and responsible use of energy transition minerals equips the green transition, while concurrently meeting climate, biodiversity and pollution goals.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 7 hours ago



Europe’s sustainable construction agenda is moving from voluntary guidance to enforceable delivery. The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires every member state to produce a National Building Renovation Plan, making retrofit central to climate policy, housing policy and public finance. The priority is no longer isolated energy upgrades, but whole life carbon, life cycle cost and building lifecycle performance across existing stock. Decarbonisation will need to protect households exposed to energy poverty, particularly in social housing, if energy-efficient buildings, low carbon building upgrades and net zero carbon buildings are to gain lasting political support.

A possible UK-EU emissions trading link would strengthen carbon pricing across construction supply chains. Cement, steel, glass and insulation manufacturers face sharper scrutiny as embodied carbon moves from disclosure to procurement risk. Whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment and environmental product declarations (EPDs) are becoming essential tools for clients seeking credible low carbon design and sustainable material specification. The market signal is clear: low carbon construction materials, low embodied carbon materials, green building materials and renewable building materials are shifting from niche products to strategic assets.

Planning remains a major constraint. UK local authorities continue to miss decision deadlines despite wider use of planning performance agreements, exposing a gap between policy ambition and delivery capacity. Faster housing, green infrastructure and sustainable urban development depend on a consenting system able to assess environmental sustainability in construction without slowing investable projects. Sustainable building design, eco-design for buildings and sustainable design must be embedded early, not retrofitted after approval.

The direction of travel favours net zero whole life carbon, circular economy and circular economy in construction principles. Resource efficiency in construction, embodied carbon in materials, end-of-life reuse in construction and circular construction strategies will increasingly define competitiveness. Frameworks such as BREEAM and BREEAM v7 will have growing influence as clients seek evidence for carbon footprint reduction, carbon neutral construction and decarbonising the built environment. The winners will turn regulation into scalable retrofit, low-impact construction and eco-friendly construction; the laggards will struggle as the carbon footprint of construction becomes a financial, regulatory and reputational liability.

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