What needs to come after SUPRIM?An industry perspective
Final SUPRIM ConferenceBrussels, 22nd October 2019
Mark MistrySenior Manager Public Policy
Relevance of resource dissipation
• Considered as important impact category & potential hot spot
• Discussion around ADP showed limitations
• Various approaches leading in some cases to very different results• Important to come up with something meaningful
Environmental Impact Points (UNEP 2011, adapted from Jolliet et al 2003
What do we take with us from SUPRIM?
• Important project especially for industry as it takes properties and characteristics into consideration
• Use versus consumption• Recycling• Emissions• Reserves
• Rather than looking into input streams (i.e. what was extracted) we should look into output flows (i.e. what is dissipated)
• Establishs a very strong link to circular economy as challenge / opportunity for the global society
What do we take with us from the EU & global discussion around resource dissipation
There is a clear need for the mining and metals industry to come up with an own robust and reliable method to assess resource dissipation
Opportunity in view of EU PEF
Program
Opportunity to provide guidance
to LCA practitioners
Linking discussion with
circular economy is of great added
value
Prevent development of models that we
do not like
Industry is supportive for
Life Cycle thinking
5
What are the next steps to be taken by industry after SUPRIM?
Aim: „ensure that practice of LCA globally contributes to Circular Economy by assessing impacts upon accessibility of (primary & secondary) resources“
Deliver on the European Commission´s call to replace the interim ADP recommendation
6
Time is running – we have to act quickly to contribute to ongoing debate
• 18 months with completion by end of 2020• Open dialogue with stakeholders and experts in this area• Multi-stakeholder workshops to faciliate exchange and gather input• Publish peer reviewed paper
7
Input from industry: understanding flows from mining to end use – and beyond
• Involved metals industries have in depth knowledge of material flows through market studies and own research
• Essential to model flows from mining to first use and end use as they build basis for stock modeling and identification of losses
8
Input from industry: detailed data on material flows, losses as essential input
• Modeling of losses to system at various stages of life cycle
• Further work required to distinguish between dissipated flows and flows available for recycling
9
Input from industry: detailed data on material flows, losses as essential input
Losses in various stages of the life cycle
- Mining (waste rock)- Beneficiation (tailings)- Smelting (slags)- Fabrication,
manufacturing (slags, waste)
- End use - End of life management
Dissipated or available for recycling?
Scrap UStock
Min
m
R
S
Mfg
W
F
1584
1379
1356
1270
1309
12721234 1804
1750
1575
1568
920
648
648
410
135103
163
23
7
585
23
86
39
6 28
16
7
0
205Ni 2005 (Gg/a) World
© Yale University 2010
14
2005
Unit: kilotons (gigagrams) per year
Sources: Reck et al. (2008), Environ. Sci. Technol.; Reck & Rotter (2011), J. Ind. Ecol.
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Outlook
SUPRIM of great added value as it brought back discussion to the real issue of concern
We are using SUPRIM as basis for future work
Some pending issues and data gaps that need to be filled
Work is underway and is expected to be concluded and published by end of 2020