This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the rare metals and minerals used in mobile phones, laptops and electric car batteries with Clovis Freire, chief of the commodity research and analysis section at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Electric vehicles are seen as clean because they don’t belch out exhaust fumes that fuel climate change. But some of the materials that go into them – especially the minerals and rare elements in their batteries – have large carbon footprints.
The environmental impact of extracting materials like cobalt, copper, lithium and graphite is a major concern.
In countries where much of the mining is done, there can be issues over human rights and the benefits to communities. With demand high and supplies limited, these materials also drive concerns about market domination by just a few producers.
Tune in to UN Trade and Development’s Clovis Freire to find out more about these rare metals and minerals and how to make them greener.
17. Sea of trouble: Turning our ships green
16. Energy dilemma: Fossil fuels versus renewables in a time of crisis
15. Going hungry: Conflict, COVID-19 and climate change strain world’s food supply
14. Changing course: Shift in policies needed to avert a global recession
13. Beyond GDP: Is it time to end our obsession with economic growth?
12. Ghosts of recessions past: Is history repeating itself?
11. Drowning in debt: How developing countries can survive the crisis
10. Taxing issues: What’s fair for multinationals?
9. Scammed: Are online marketplaces safe?
8. Blue Deal: Charting a new ocean economy
7. War and price: The cost of rising inflation
6. Blockchain reaction: The high cost of unregulated crypto
5. A lesser degree: Why climate change matters
4. Uncertain recovery: Where’s investment going?
3. Stormy waters: The maritime trade crisis
2. Africa’s future: Why economies must diversify
1. Going up: The human costs of rising prices
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