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Streamline processes like financial due diligence and permitting wherever possible . Build bridges between local and global stakeholders with off-sets – for instance , assume capital risk in exchange for social responsibility guarantees . Selectively assume and share the risks that cannot be avoided to resolve key bottlenecks .
If stakeholders at the global , local , and company levels intend on reaching their individual goals , then cooperation on these points of quantifying problems , picking the right fights , and proposing targeted solutions , means the trend of decarbonisation will be better facilitated . •
It is not just lithium that can be exploited from untapped reserves , but also more cobalt , copper , nickel , vanadium , phosphate rock , iron ore , and bauxite for aluminium – the collective of which needs to rise by 186 % from 2020 to 2040 .
About authors : Willis Thomas , head of CRU +: Thomas joined CRU in 2017 . Before this , he was the inside sales and production manager at Kapp Alloy & Wire , Inc ., a US-based manufacturer of solder and other nonferrous wires . Previously , he worked in economic development with a focus on business outreach and retention . Since joining CRU , Thomas has worked on projects in a wide range of mined commodities , metals and fertilisers . Focus areas include fertilisers , ferroalloys , minor metals , along with steel metallics and raw materials . Thomas is currently based at the company ’ s London office .
Simona Nenickova , research analyst : Nenickova joined CRU after graduating from King ' s College London in MSc China and Globalisation , and therefore with extensive background knowledge about modern China . She joined as a CRU A intern in the multicommodity team , where she spent two months working mainly on steel related projects , particularly the steel cost model and on China-related projects in general . In December 2022 , Nenickova made her transition to the consulting team and in January 2023 , she officially started a full-time position as an RA in the CRU + team . Since then , she has worked across a wide variety of commodities , mainly focusing on fertilisers , vanadium , and rare earths .
26 • African Mining • September 2023 www . africanmining . co . za