In partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the FCDO-DESNZ Energy Unit.
Introduction and background to dialogue
This Wilton Park event took place from 13 – 15 May 2024, bringing together UK Government Departments, academia, key policy-makers in a range of nickel-producing countries (Indonesia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Philippines, China) and other partner governments, industry experts and global purchasers of nickel, to consider economically attractive alternatives to manufacture using polluting fossil fuels.
The UK Government has committed to ambitious carbon reduction targets to address climate change. However, high-energy nickel processing often involves the use of fossil fuels, contributing significantly to global emissions and undermining the 1.5-degree target for global warming. Transitioning to low-carbon or renewable energy in nickel processing aligns with the UK’s commitment to climate action, sustainable development, economic growth, and aspiration for global leadership in green technologies. There is growing consumer interest in reducing the environmental impact associated with processing nickel and nickel by-products, with relevance to the processing of other critical minerals.
This event examined:
- The reasons for the need to reduce the carbon footprint of nickel production;
- Technical solutions and incentives to increase renewable energy sources in nickel production and disincentives for not doing so (eg eventual carbon border tax mechanisms); and
- How solutions can be operationalised in industrial plans and strategies of key nickel-producing countries.
This report captures a series of recommendations and suggestions put forward by participants to help increase the role of renewable energy in nickel mining and processing, including potential cross-cutting, narrative, policy and regulatory, technical and financial solutions.