Metals & Minerals

Demand for primary metals and minerals is projected to escalate over the next 30 years, driven by rising global population, economic growth and rapid urbanization, and the spread of digital technologies and low-carbon / renewable energy solutions (e.g., for generation and energy storage). The International Financial Institution has identified the transition to a low-carbon economy will result in increased primary demand for metals that include aluminum, copper, lithium, silver, nickel, lead, zinc, and others – some of which are in short supply. At the same time, the negative impacts of mining activities have come under increasing scrutiny as a result of major tailings dam failures and high-profile land, water, and community conflicts around the world.

As pressures mount to address social, environmental, and economic challenges in a more coherent and effective way, circular economy strategies provide a solution to helping minimize the mining sector’s impact through improved mine site practices, as well as improved material stewardship, secondary materials use, and enhanced resource recovery.

The Circular Metals and Minerals work stream will explore issues and actions throughout the full supply chain, from the mine site, to consumer products design and use, including the role of investment and finance. It will examine how to incentivize better methods of extraction, processing, manufacturing, use and re-use of minerals products and services. The outcomes will focus on specific short and long term actions that various private and public actors can take individually and collectively to optimize the many values associated with circular economy strategies in the sector.

Previous Event Recordings

• Circularity Across the Mining and Metals Value Chain – WCEF 2021 Accelerator Session
• Towards a Circular Economy Approach to Mining Operations: Key Concepts, Drivers, and Opportunities – Use passcode T=9Tk=Uu to watch the webinar
• The Strategic Role of Data in Advancing a More Circular Economy for Metals in the Automotive Supply Chain – WCEF 2021 Side Event
• Towards a Circular Economy for EV Battery in North America – WCEF 2021 Side Event
• End of Life Electronics: Optimizing Critical and Strategic Metals Recovery Through Circular Economy Approaches – WCEF 2021 Side Event
• Mining for Circularity – WCEF 2020 Side Event

Publications, Blogs & Articles

Blog Posts

• Mining for Circularity: The inconvenient [and promising] truth of the role of minerals in a circular economy – Alan Young and Geoff McCarney

Event Summary Reports

• End of Life Electronics: Optimizing Critical and Strategic Metals Recovery Through Circular Economy Approaches – WCEF 2021 Side Event Summary Report
• Towards a North American Circular Economy for Electric Vehicle Batteries in North America – WCEF 2021 Side Event Summary Report
• Mining for Circularity: Five Strategic Insights – WCEF 2021 Accelerator Series Summary Report
• The Strategic Role of Data in Advancing a More Circular Economy for Metals in the Automotive Supply Chain – WCEF 2021 Side Event Summary Report

Partner Reports

• Circular Economy Global Sector Best Practices Series: Minerals and Metals Sector Chapter – Smart Prosperity Institute
• Towards a Circular Economy Approach to Mining Operations. Read the Executive Summary in English or French – Materials Efficiency Research Group, and Enviro Integration Strategies Inc.
• Primary Materials in the Emerging Circular Economy: Implications for upstream resource producers and primary material exporters. Read the blog post here. – Smart Prosperity Institute
• Circular Mining: As without so within – The Intelligent Miner

Supporting Partners

• Battery Metals Association of Canada (BMAC)
• Coreo
• Electronic Products Recycling Association
• Energy Futures Lab
• Materials Efficiency Research Group (MERG)
• Max Bell Foundation
• Metal Tech Alley
• Natural Resources Canada
• Smart Prosperity Institute