Summary of December and welcome to 2024

The UN's latest round of global climate talks, COP28, this year hosted on the first two weeks of December by the UAE in Dubai, aimed at helping limit the long-term global temperature rise to 1.5C, which the UN's climate science body says is crucial to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. That will require, however, drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, a 43% reduction by 2030 from 2019 levels, according to the UN. Around 100 countries promised to treble the renewable energy the world uses by 2030. However, there will be no penalties for missing targets and the promises are not binding.

Addressing the delegates from almost 200 countries, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced his plan to set up a panel aimed to ensure the move from fossil fuels towards renewable energy is just, sustainable and benefits all countries. He said that the availability and accessibility of critical energy transition minerals is crucial to reach the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The conference closed with agreement on a new deal. For the first time, the deal calls on all countries to move away from using fossil fuels - but not to phase them out, something many governments wanted. 

The COP28 president said nations had "confronted realities and... set the world in the right direction" and he emphasised the importance of the pledge to treble renewable energy capacity by 2030, and a fund set up for rich nations to give money to poor nations suffering the impacts of climate change.

Although the deal is only to move away, rather than phase out, fossil fuel, with the eyes of the world watching countries will maybe think twice now before building new coal fired power stations.

Back home, the first of the Christmas 'dos" was the annual Camborne School of Mines Association Christmas lunch at Tyacks in Camborne. Very well attended by past students and staff it was a pleasure to share a table with two of my former students, Dr. Dave Dew, who graduated in mineral processing in 1979, and Kirk Adams, a mining graduate from 1985 who has now converted to mineral processing, and the two current CSM co-Presidents Bess Mann and Codi-Lilli Brooks. Bess and Codi are currently MSc students at CSM, Bess in mineral processing and Codi mining engineering. 

Barbara with Kirk and Codi

With Bess and Dave

The following week we were at the Truro Museum for the Cornish Lithium Christmas party, attended by an interesting mix of people, mainly from the Cornish mining industry. 

Barbara with Claire Yelland, Jane Isaacs and Pauline Clarke

It was a good opportunity to congratulate the company on its outstanding achievement award at the Resourcing Tomorrow event in November, in recognition of its exploration success (see posting of December 22nd). At the same event Cornwall was awarded the prize for the most improved mining destination worldwide and Cornish Lithium Founder and CEO Jeremy Wrathall had the honour, on behalf of Cornwall Council, of presenting the award to Glenn Caplin-Grey, CEO of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.

Jeremy and Glenn

Two days later we were in Cornwall's most iconic fishing village, Mousehole, to view their always spectacular harbour lights.

Then on the following week it was the last social gathering before Christmas, the annual Cornish Mining Sundowner at Tyacks in Camborne.

On behalf of the MEI team I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2024 and we look forward to seeing some of you at one of the four MEI Conferences this year. We may also catch up in the USA in September for the International Mineral Processing Congress, the first since the congress in Moscow in 2018. But before all that, I will be in USA next month for the SME Annual Meeting in Phoenix, so look out for me there if you are attending.