Cobalt for the Energy Transition: Cobalt Institute’s Decarbonisation Pathways Report
13:00 – 14:30 GMT 14 November 2024
Online
Cobalt is a metal that is vital for the green transition. Its key role in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles will prove essential as the world pursues the goal of a decarbonised future. But the cobalt industry has its own carbon footprint, and as the lithium-ion battery market explodes over the coming decades, more cobalt will be needed, and associated emissions will rise. Companies in the cobalt value chain cannot rely on the metal’s essentiality to absolve themselves of the duty to decarbonise and must take the decarbonisation of their own operations and supply chains seriously.
But what does this process look like, and where do companies start? What sort of actions can the cobalt industry take to cut emissions, and what sort of investment is needed to do so? What can policy makers do to work with companies to ensure a decarbonised cobalt industry? What does this process mean for the workers and communities affected by a changing cobalt industry?
All of these questions – and many more – will be answered in Cobalt Institute’s upcoming report A Just Cobalt Decarbonisation Pathway. The report will offer a vision of the cobalt industry’s carbon footprint between 2023 and 2050, the level to which it is possible to decarbonise in that time, the concrete actions that must be taken in order to decarbonise and the sort of investment needed to facilitate this, and the framework conditions required to complete the process of decarbonisation. It will also focus on impacts to workers and communities and explore the human rights risks that arise when pursuing decarbonisation, explaining how companies can extend their current human rights due diligence obligations to cover actions recommended in the report. We look forward to seeing you at the launch.
Webinar recording
Agenda
Welcome Remarks – Susannah McLaren, Head of Responsible Sourcing & Sustainability, Cobalt Institute |
Presentation of the Paper – Tom Fairlie, Senior Sustainability Manager, Cobalt Institute |
Panel of Experts, moderated by Susannah McLaren, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability, Cobalt Institute |
Q&A with audience |
speakers
Susannah McLaren,
Head of Responsible Sourcing & Sustainability,
Cobalt Institute
Susannah also spent ten years employed with a global engineering contractor, latterly as the Head of Social Sustainability. Susannah has previously held roles on the CRAFT Code Committee, the Advisory Group of the UN Global Compact Network UK, the Board of the United Nations Association of the UK and as Vice-Chair of Building Responsibly, an industry-led initiative to safeguard the rights and welfare of workers. She has a Masters in Environment & Business from the University of Leeds and a degree in Accountancy from the University of Malta.
Tom Fairlie,
Senior Sustainability Manager,
Cobalt Institute
Holding a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Newcastle University, Tom began his career as a metallurgist on large extractives projects from which he progressed to management of change, training and business development roles. To combine industry experience with a desire to achieve energy transition in a sustainable manner, he also completed a Masters in Global Energy and Climate Policy from the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London.
Fritjof Schubert,
Expert Life Cycle Assessment – Battery Cell,
Powerco
Daniella Savic,
Head of International ESG Compliance,
ERG
Daniella is now at ERG, where she manages their ESG programme, ensures compliance therewith, oversees the execution of ERG’s ESG strategies, and undertakes peer learning through partnership with likeminded companies. She is a regular at CI events, and we are delighted to have her with us for the launch of this report.
Gert Van Hoof,
Manager Product Sustainability & Recycling,
Umicore
Gert is the co-author of the 2023 paper Towards Sustainable Battery Recycling: A Carbon Footprint Comparison between Pyrometallurgical and Hydrometallurgical Battery Recycling Flowsheets, possesses considerable expertise on all things sustainable and circular, and we are delighted to have him join us for the Launch.
Anna Triponel,
Founder and Advisor,
Human Level
Anna also worked for the Shift Project, one of the leading centers of expertise on business and human rights, before leaving to start her own consultancy. In 2022, she founded Human Level, and now offers her considerable expertise to companies interested in improving their human rights performance. We are looking forward to Anna joining us to offer her perspective on the key issue of decarbonisation and the just transition.