Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Future Availability Of Non-Renewable Metal Resources And The Influence Of Environmental, Social, And Governance Conflicts On Metal Production, Simon Jowitt, Gavin M. Mudd, John F.H. Thompson

Geoscience Faculty Research

Metal mining provides the elements required for the provision of energy, communication, transport and more. The increasing uptake of green technology, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy, will also further increase metal demand. However, the production lifespan of an average mine is far shorter than the timescales of mineral deposit formation, suggesting that metal mining is unsustainable on human timescales. In addition, some research suggests that known primary metal supplies will be exhausted within about 50 years. Here we present an analysis of global metal reserves that suggests that primary metal supplies will not run out on this timescale. …