Renewable energy is the best means of bringing global emissions within the required 1.5 degrees limit. While this is an imperative technical response to climate change, the full cost of renewables needs investigation. Specifically, the value chains of minerals used to produce renewable energy remains hidden. This event gathers experts, policy makers and the public to discuss the sourcing of commodities required to transition to renewable energy; examine the environmental and social costs across the life cycle of extraction, transport, processing and disposal; and explore the accountability mechanisms established by state and non-state groups to reconcile these costs.
Following a morning session with a keynote from Environment and Climate Change Canada, and lunch, we will hold a workshop on the governance of the mineral supply chain for renewable energy (to support development of wind, solar, and storage technologies primarily). There will be five presentations of reports and papers, to frame a moderated discussion between all participants to brainstorm the big questions in this emerging area.
Workshop paper and report presentations include:
The goal of the workshop is to set up an agenda that can help guide future avenues of scholarly research, policy analysis and recommendations.