Critical Raw Materials: Managing Resources for a Sustainable Future

Initiative Description

Gain a systemic understanding of critical raw materials and learn about strategies and solutions to manage them in a sustainable way.

Training Objectives

The availability of critical raw materials (CRMs) is under massive pressure. However, these materials are essential for products, technologies and solutions to some of the world’s most crucial issues – such as the energy transition. The small numbers of suppliers, price volatility, environmental damage from mining, and costly time- and energy-consuming extraction processes are just a few of the many associated challenges. Addressing the criticality of raw materials is one of the most complex sustainability challenges of our time. Just as renewables alone will not solve climate change, recycling cannot be the only solution to deal with the increasing use of these materials. The transition to a raw materials-intensive economy calls for a systems-thinking approach and the involvement of businesses, governments and society at large. This course provides a systemic understanding of CRMs and equips you with tools and strategies for managing them in a sustainable way. The course covers the entire raw materials’ value chain, which will help you see what actions can be taken at every stage and how you can make informed decisions, and contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable approach to CRMs, regardless of your professional or academic background. Key topics include access to raw materials, environmental and social impacts, geopolitical factors, market dynamics, economics, supply chains, global trends in CRM use, and resource efficiency. You can choose from three different tracks that cover possible solutions from a technical, business or policy perspective. These range from supply risk mitigation, exploration, urban mining and substitution to circularity strategies, business models, responsible sourcing and certification. This course also introduces you to experts, start-ups and projects in the field and inspires you to tackle problems with concrete initiatives. Get funding for your own creative solution. After sharing examples of successful business ideas for a more sustainable management of CRMs, you will be able to submit your own project proposal to EIT RawMaterials and enter a competition to receive funding to further pursue your innovation idea!

Training Contents

Explore critical raw materials and their role in achieving a sustainable transition. Recognize the diverse challenges that come with critical raw materials and the complex issues involved in finding solutions. Analyse the importance of material systems and dynamics and review the social and environmental impacts of CRMs. Distinguish major strategies for developing a more circular and sustainable use of critical raw materials. Apply your knowledge to design innovative solutions in the field.

Digital Innovation Hubs

Details

Website

[email protected]

Date: Anytime (Self-Paced)

Durations: +7 days

Price: Free | Earn certificate for $139

Project

Delft University of Technology

Countries where training is provided

Netherlands

Cities where training is provided

Delft

Languages this training can be provided

English

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