Sustainable Minerals Institute

Global Centre for Mineral Security

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About the Global Centre for Mineral Security

The Global Centre for Minerals Security undertakes research, education, technical assistance, and capacity building on the sufficient and affordable access by all people to the minerals necessary for human development.

Our vision is to reduce poverty, improve livelihoods, and enhance sustainable development.

The Centre brings evidence to policy makers, innovation to partners and new tools to realise sustainable development through sufficient, affordable and universal access to the minerals and materials necessary for human development including for shelter, mobility, communication, energy and sustenance.

The Centre team comprises social and environmental scientists, geologists, economists, and engineers with hands-on development experience. The team has worked across 54 countries, covering 13 regions of the world, including in the Americas, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and Oceania.

The Global Centre for Mineral Security works on a wide range of issues related to sustainable development.

Themes:

  • Poverty
  • Shelter and mobility
  • Peace and resilience
  • Sustenance
  • Energy

Current projects

Responsible sourcing of sand and silicates

Sand and other silicate materials are the world’s most extracted solid raw material that has largely eluded the progress made on responsible sourcing of minerals. We are pursuing what sourcing standards and practices for silicate minerals may be needed in the future.
 

Ore-sand: A circular economy solution to reduce mineral wastes and improve global sand sustainability

After water, sand is the second most exploited natural resource in the world. Ore-sand is a type of manufactured sand resulting from the mining and processing of ores; its co-production implies the optimisation of these processes and the addition of processing stages to achieve the required specifications of sand.
 
 

Flagship Initiatives

The DELVE Exchange

An estimated 42 million people are employed in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) across the globe. The Delve Exchange is a knowledge exchange network, by miners, for miners, dedicated to supporting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) communities. We currently have over 1,500 members from 71 countries.
 
 

The Blue Concrete Initiative: Low-Carbon Concrete Adoption in the Pacific

Cement is the most widely used building material in the world. It is also a major contributor to global climate change, accounting for around 8% of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. This project focused on introducing low carbon cement technology to Pacific Small-Island Development States.
 

Past projects

  1. Partnering to Implement the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 4/19 on Mineral Resource Governance
  2. UNESCO-IGCP: Stone for Development Work Integrated Learning and Action Research Program

Partners

The Global Centre for Mineral Security works with a wide range of partners, including:

Centre Director

Professor Daniel Franks
View Daniel Franks’ research profile

Senior Researchers

Dr Paul Rogers
View Paul Rogers research profile

Dr Lynda Lawson
View Lynda Lawson’s research profile

Dr Fitsum S. Weldegiorgis
View Fitsum Weldegiorgis’ research profile

Dr Louise Gallagher
View Louise Gallagher’s research profile

See the Global Centre for Mineral Security’s full list of staff and students

 

Stone for Development Work Integrated Learning

The program provides a rich learning experience for UQ students that builds understanding of sustainable development challenges in a critically important sector of economies in the Pacific and other regions.

 

The Global Centre for Mineral Security is involved in a number of research and consulting projects and are regularly looking for highly motivated postgraduate students. Successful applicants will work with senior researchers and engage with key partners and stakeholders - helping prepare you for a successful career.

Study a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) with the Global Centre for Mineral Security. Propose your own research project with a supervisor or find an available research project with a scholarship. 

For more information and enquiries about studying at SMI:

See more on SMI's Higher Degree by Research page

The Centre also manages the Stone for Development Work Integrated Learning Program which is designed for university students, early-career geoscientists or professionals who are interested in sustainable development? The Program is a fantastic opportunity for you to gain hands-on experience in sustainability through a short work placement. 

See more on the Stone for Development Work Integrated Learning Program

International Council for Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ICASM)

The Global Centre for Minerals Security (GCMS) is supporting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) associations globally to establish an International Council for Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ICASM). Following on the 2018 Mosi Oa Tunya Declaration, and recognising the challenges of climate change, it became clear that such a global platform could provide support and advocacy in international stages and decision making that affect the ASM sector. Above all, ICASM aims to be a dynamic platform that seeks to represent miners working in the field who may not have access to positions of leadership. Through prioritizing the miners’ voices, it aims to address current and emerging challenges in the ASM sector, improving livelihoods and enhancing resilience and economic diversification in mineral-rich regions.

The team at the GCMS is engaging with leaders of ASM associations to convene a workshop in which a taskforce will be set up to work on the strategy, objectives, structure, and governance of ICASM. Watch this space.

For further information, please contact Dr Fitsum Weldegiorgis via f.weldegiorgis@uq.edu.au.

Contact us

Get in touch for any enquries.

+61 7 3346 4003

Location

Sustainable Minerals Institute
Level 4, Sir James Foots Building (No. 47A)
Corner of College Rd and Staff House Rd
The University of Queensland
St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia
 

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Learn more about the work of the Global Centre for Mineral Security