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The reality of green energy: “green metal” supply chains won’t be able to keep up

NC State SCRC

But nobody is talking about the supply chain for these vehicles, and the capacity required to build them. Converting an entire supply base of automotive suppliers, who are all focused on building of combustion engine-powered vehicles, and moving them all to electric vehicles, will be a superhuman feat.

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Shining a Light on the EV Supply Chain: A Poor Environmental and Human Rights Record

NC State SCRC

However, the general public typically doesn’t understand how supply chains work, and many don’t even know how their box of cereal ends up on their grocery store shelf. Cobalt: The Democratic Republic of Congo has 46% of global cobalt reserves and produces 70% of the world’s output. And how will we mine them?

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Copper in flux

Resilinc

Less than four months ago, copper was setting record prices and experts were forecasting long-term supply gaps due to a collision between the growing demand for copper in clean-power technologies and the cost and difficulties of developing new mines. It’s just an impossibly tight future.”. dependent on foreign sources.

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Ethical sourcing risks pose challenge to electric vehicle market

Resilinc

As covered in last week’s blog , China’s dominance of supply chains for cobalt—an essential component in lithium-ion battery chemistries—is a growing geopolitical concern for leaders from both parties. The post Ethical sourcing risks pose challenge to electric vehicle market appeared first on Resilinc.

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The (Potential) Value of Labeling in the Lithium Ion Battery Supply Chain

The UCLA Anderson Global Supply Chain Blog

For example, over 60% of cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which uses the labor of tens of thousands of children as young as four years old in its mines. [4]. Hence, there is significant value in the supply chain for batteries waiting to be unlocked. . Data and assumptions used in savings calculation: .

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An update on copper

Resilinc

Growing scrutiny of ESG impacts of mining is strengthening demand for sustainably sourced metals —but IEA worries that “higher-performing supply chains may not be sufficient to meet demand.” Mining Technology’s Zachary Skidmore lists a broader set of solutions to “alleviate the pressure on the [copper] supply chain.”

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Demand for low-carbon metals heats up

Resilinc

Supply chains for cobalt, copper, nickel, lithium, graphite, manganese, and rare earth elements are particularly concerning. The International Energy Agency forecasts demand for these materials to grow by between 1,000% and 3,000% by 2040. But market demand for green and low-carbon metals is not going away.