Published Nov 04 2022

‘What Happens Next?’: Is Australia Behind in the Critical Minerals Race?

Mohan
Yellishetty
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering
Paris hadfield
Research Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Susan park
Professor of Global Governance, University of Sydney
Susan carland
Academic, author and social commentator

This week on What Happens Next?, we’re kickstarting a new series on critical minerals. As we transition to a decarbonised future, away from oil and coal, our technology will run on ores such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth minerals.

How will this cause global politics to shift? Can mining and sustainability go hand-in-hand? And how can we ensure a just transition for all?

Watch: A Different Lens: The Business of Energy

In this new episode of Monash University’s podcast, What Happens Next?, our guests discuss the challenges and opportunities critical minerals can play in transitioning society away from fossil fuels to a more sustainable future. Can Australia be a leader in the critical minerals race?

Host Dr Susan Carland is joined this week by Professor Susan Park, Professor of Global Governance at the University of Sydney; Dr Mohan Yellishetty, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Monash University; and Dr Paris Hadfield, Research Fellow at the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.



If you’re enjoying the show, don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and rate or review What Happens Next? to help listeners like yourself discover it.

“We all are familiar with aluminium, iron or copper, lead, zinc. So they have been the mainstream metals, and most critical minerals always were companions, or “hitchhikers”, we call them. And that's where they are part of it, but we never were interested in them... Now we are chasing them back again.”

Dr Mohan Yellishetty

Listen on Apple Podcasts

 
 
 
 

Listen to more What Happens Next? podcast episodes

About the Authors

  • Mohan yellishetty

    Associate Professor, Civil Engineering

    Mohan has been involved in mining education for nearly two decades. His research and academic experience includes working at Monash University and CSIRO, Australia, Yale University, USA and IIT Bombay and India. His teaching philosophy combines a theoretical background backed by real-world examples, through integration of field-based, project-based and hands-on learning experiences. Mohan pioneered the use of a variety of pedagogical practices, such developing industry-centric curriculum and industry-based learning to achieve effective teaching-learning outcomes. He has been recognized as one of the leading experts in the area of sustainable mineral resources. His research focuses on mine rehabilitation and closure and sustainability frameworks/tools and their application mining industry.

  • Paris hadfield

    Research Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute

    Paris interest lies in the intersections of (urban) climate policy, zero-carbon infrastructures, climate finance, and social justice. She’s currently contributing to international research partnerships at MSDI exploring just transitions to decarbonisation in Australia (British Academy, in collaboration with Royal Holloway University of London), river revitalisation through circular economy in Indonesia (Veski grant, Citarum Living Lab), and university living lab governance (Monash-ENGIE Alliance Solutions Fund).

  • Susan park

    Professor of Global Governance, University of Sydney

  • Susan carland

    Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics

    Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.

Other stories you might like