MT26 Energy Seminar – Week 3: The social and environmental dimensions of critical minerals in the UK
Jamie Hinch
- Start Tuesday 27 Oct 2026 5:00pm
- Finish Tuesday 27 Oct 2026 6:00pm
- Venue School of Geography & the Environment
- Postcode OX1 3AN
- Register for event
THIS IS AN IN PERSON AND ONLINE EVENT
Summary: Critical minerals sit at the centre of the UK’s ambitions for net zero, national security, and technological innovation. In response to global supply risks, the UK has committed to meeting 10% of annual demand for these minerals through domestic production by 2035. To date, policy and industry discussions have focused on the geological, financial, and regulatory feasibility of ‘onshoring’. However, as projects move from exploration to implementation, their social and environmental impacts will become decisive factors in their success or failure. This seminar will discuss the findings of a science to policy research sprint, funded by the Agile Initiative, which reviews the state of knowledge regarding the social and environmental dimensions of critical minerals in the UK.
Speaker: Jamie’s research focusses on the place-based dimensions of critical minerals mining in the Global North. He completed his DPhil in the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford in 2026, using ethnographic methods to research lithium extraction in mid-Cornwall. Before this, Jamie worked for a climate justice think tank in Scotland. His undergraduate degree is in International Relations and Social Anthropology from the University of St Andrews, and his Master’s degree is in Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance from the University of Oxford. He is currently based at the University of Exeter’s Critical Minerals Challenge Centre and is a research affiliate at Oxford EARTH.