The research takes into account both sides of the energy transition by incorporating global resource stocks for coal on the one hand, and the energy shift metals on the other. Energy shift metals refer to the minerals that are required for eco-friendly technologies to accelerate the transition to a clean energy future. Svobodova explained: “These findings will assist notify future preparation and guideline of the energy shift. Our new mine-town systems approach develops an empirical basis for analyzing the scale and place of group impacts of changing energy systems.”
Coal mine Bilina in the Czech Republic. Credit: Marketa Hendrychova
Göttingen University joins forces with other researchers to study the effect of resources, demographics, and disruption in the shift towards clean energy.
Recent research led by the University of Queensland and the University of Göttingen analyzed the impacts of transitioning to tidy energy by linking international resource stocks with market systems to discover possible threats and advantages. The findings suggest that the increased need for energy transition metals (ETMs) may be more disruptive to some communities than decreasing thermal coal production.
The researchers figured out that while ending coal production might affect at least 33.5 million people living in mine-town systems, an extra 115.7 million might be affected by disruptions triggered by energy shift metals (ETMs). The findings were released in the journal Nature Communications.
Image proving results of research study: a map of Australia with “mine-town systems.” Credit: Dr. Kamila Svobodova
The research study takes into account both sides of the energy transition by incorporating worldwide resource inventories for coal on the one hand, and the energy shift metals on the other. Energy shift metals refer to the minerals that are required for renewable innovations to speed up the shift to a clean energy future.
Dr. Kamila Svobodova, who led the research study, is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and holds a research study fellowship at the University of Göttingen. Svobodova described: “These findings will assist notify future planning and regulation of the energy transition. Our new mine-town systems approach develops an empirical basis for analyzing the scale and location of group effects of changing energy systems.”
” The information reveals an asymmetry in the distribution of dangers: mine-town systems within the United States are most delicate to coal phase-out, while systems in Australia and Canada are most conscious ETM phase-in. This research study highlights an urgent requirement for more granular socio-economic information on populations living and working in impacted locations, and for targeted macro-level preparation in order to support a transition from coal to ETMs that is reasonable for local individuals.”
Svobodova adds: “Questions of social disruption are hardly ever considered at a global scale. In this research study, we are able to provide a global-scale model which can also be scaled down to national jurisdictions and areas which are under pressure from energy shift.”
Referral: “Decarbonization, population disturbance and resource stocks in the worldwide energy shift” by Kamila Svobodova, John R. Owen, Deanna Kemp, Vítězslav Moudrý, Éléonore Lèbre, Martin Stringer and Benjamin K. Sovacool, 15 December 2022, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-022-35391-2.