| Abbreviation | Term | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| ABM | Agent-based model | Modelling of scenarios around autonomous 'agents', their actions and interactions, in order to better understand the behaviour of the circular economy system. |
| ASM | Artisanal and small-scale mining | Widespread in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Central and South America. Though the informal nature generally results in low productivity, the sector represents an important livelihood and income source for local populations |
| BBSRC | Biotechnical and Biological Sciences Research Council | A national funding agency investing in bioscience research and training in the UK. The council aims to further scientific knowledge, promote economic growth and improve the quality of life in the UK and beyond |
| BCSECM | Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials | A centre for expertise in the science, economic and regulatory challenges created by the need for strategic elements and critical materials. Based at the University of Birmingham |
| BEI | Birmingham Energy Institute | Research Institute based at the University of Birmingham, focused on low-carbon technology and advising on policy for future energy solutions |
| BEIS | Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | The UK's governmental department that was responsible for business, industrial strategy, science, research, innovation, energy, climate change and clean growth. Replaced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Business and Trade in 2023 |
| BGS | British Geological Survey | World-leading independent research organisation providing objective, expert geoscientific data, information and knowledge |
| CE | Circular economy | A template for global economies in which products are maintained at their 'highest value' through a system of re-use, servitisation business models and resource efficiency, whereby waste is designed out from the start. This is a move away from the existing linear economy |
| CE-HUB | National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) programme hub | A central hub of five, interdisciplinary, cifcular economy research centres |
| CRM | Critical raw materials | Raw materials are deemed to be 'critical' to a given country due to their scarcity, stability of supply and/or geopolitical relations with providers |
| CSM | Camborne School of Mines | A combined geoscience and mining institute at the University of Exeter, hosting scientific and engineering expertise in geology, mining and minerals processing |
| ESG | Environmental, social and governance | Investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analysis process to identify material risks and growth opportunities |
| ICEC-MCM | Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Mineral-based Construction Materials | One of the five circular economy research Hubs within NICER, investigating the scientific, socio-economic and technological bases for design and implementation of systems, processes and policy that will support the transition to a circular economy for the built environment infrastructure of the UK. This is largely focused on base metals such as steel and copper |
| GBA | Global Battery Alliance | A partnership of businesses, governments, academics, industry actors, international and non-governmental organisations aiming to ensure that battery production not only supports green energy, but also safeguards human rights and promotes health and environmental sustainability |
| LCA | Life cycle analysis | A method of quantifying the environmental impacts associated with a given product, created through an inventory of resources used and pollutants generated in product production and use over its lifetime |
| LE | Linear economy | Existing economic model based on a concept of 'take-make-waste', where resources are extracted, made into a product and rapidly classified as waste rather than resource |
| LSM | Large-scale mining | Intentional mining of minerals in mechanised operations involving one or more open-cast pits, sinking of shafts, drilling of adits or other underground operation following the legal acquisition of permits |
| NICER | National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research Programme | A collaborative research and development programme investigating a resilient circular economy for the UK |
| PGMs | Platinum group metals | A family of six structurally and chemically similar elements that are most valued for their wide range of industrial, medical, and electronic applications. These versatile metals play a significant role in many products in daily use |
| REEs | Rare earth elements | A set of seventeen metallic elements including the fifteen lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium. An essential part of many high-tech devices, these elements are not necessarily uncommon but often difficult to extract on a commercially viable scale |
| RI | Responsible innovation | A framework for researchers and innovators in which both intended and unintended consequences are anticipated, aiming to minimise adverse effects or find alternative solutions |
| WEEE | Waste electrical and electronic equipment | Electrical and electronic equipment that has reached its end of life is a vast resource for the technology metals that form the focus of the NVO |
| WEF | World Economic Forum | The World Economic Forum is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation with a particular interest in the circular economy of metal resources |
| UNRMS | United Nations Resource Management System | A unifying framework for the integrated management of resources, especially within a circular economy |
Contact
For questions regarding the UK Technology Metals Observatory, please contact Dr Evi Petavratzi.