GCMS News

Demand for sand and silicates worldwide is now so large that is has the potential to shape ecosystems, landscapes and markets globally.
However, businesses have not yet developed diligence processes to ensure responsible extraction.
The Coalition for Responsible Sand and Silicates is an initiative spearheaded by UQ and Inter IKEA to improve how these materials are governed and controlled.

After completing the Australia Awards Mining Governance in Africa Short Course at The University of Queensland, Ruth Ngumba returned to Zambia to focus on increasing the local value of her country’s minerals.

High‑level representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) explored more sustainable approaches to mining and mineral processing on a recent study tour led by researchers from The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.

A researcher from The University of Queensland has secured more than $500,000 in funding to improve food security in sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Islands by boosting local mineral security (as an alternative to imported fertilisers).

GCMS director Daniel Franks and colleagues, in a piece for Nature, explained that critical minerals haven't taken a national security turn, that's always been their meaning.

Sand, gravel and limestone are necessary for the construction of foundations for wind turbines and solar panels, as well as the walls of hydroelectric dams and pumped hydro facilities. 

Forget lithium, copper and rare earths – new research has found that sand and aggregates are the real secret ingredient of the renewable energy transition.

One researcher's extraordinary journey from Namibia to St Lucia in search of answers – and a purpose

Researchers from The University of Queensland have found that as much as 80% of the Pacific region’s sand and aggregate (used to build houses, roads, bridges, and to protect coastlines from the impacts of climate change) come from Fiji – at great cost for some of Fiji’s rivers.