Critical Raw materials extraction in environmentally protected areas (CIRAN)

CIRAN will develop, test and validate processes to arrive at systemic policy-making, balancing environmental protection and societal needs for accessing critical raw materials (CRMs). This will be achieved through: 1) streamlined permitting procedures in environmentally protected areas; 2) modern policies and social contract frameworks that reconcile the protection of environmentally sensitive areas and domestic sourcing of CRMs in the EU; and 3) the development of a community of practice to support the uptake of the CIRAN recommendation and that will remain active after the project funding period. CIRAN proposes a logical framework that justifies extraction on the basis of a system-oriented assessment and the co-creation of knowledge (i.e. tested and validated by communities located in or nearby environmentally protected areas). It will create novel social contract models identifying rights, obligations and responsibilities of governments (national/regional), communities and mine operators, capable of dealing with transformations and challenges due to climate change.
As a distinctive feature, CIRAN brings together 25 external experts on the environmental, political, social, economic, and technological factors that will shape the energy transition responses and the demand for CRMs. These experts, organised in four Expert Groups (EGs), will work with the Consortium, conveying insights on policy-making and -implementation, economic drivers, technologies, mining, local governance, social capital, nature conservation and biodiversity. The EGs will actively engage in CIRAN through synergetic processes combining analysis and deliberation, and participation in project workshops and structured consultations (e.g., focus groups, foresight analysis). The Consortium is geared to develop inclusive policy-making instruments that support the EU Green Deal and UN-led reforms to reach the climate commitments and sustainable development goals.
The Telos Aleff Ltd contribution to the CIRAN project has direct relevance to the UK. It a) aligns to the policies and principles of “Resilience for the Future: The United Kingdom’s Critical Minerals Strategy” (2022) (see https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1097298/resilience_for_the_future_the_uks_critical_minerals_strategy.pdf) and b) it includes the use of the UN Resource Management System (UNRMS) which Telos Aleff Ltd. has been one of the contributors since its inception, as required by the UK CRM Strategy. It also contains two extensive CRM case studies based on the Drakelands and Redmoor tungsten-tin-copper projects in Devon and Cornwall, developed with guidance from the Camborne School of Mines and University of Exeter CRM team.