USP – Conférence : "Transition écologique : vers un épuisement des ressources naturelles ?"

They are essential to all low-carbon technologies such as electric vehicles (cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, rare earths, etc.), wind power (aluminum, copper, nickel, etc.), solar power (aluminum, silver, copper, silicon, etc.) or hydrogen (nickel, palladium, platinum, etc.). They are metals! And faced with the climate emergency and the necessary decarbonization of the global energy mix, the demand for metals risks increasing, creating new economic and geopolitical dependencies. This context raises many questions: Will we have enough metals? Will we reopen mines in France? At what economic and environmental costs?

Emmanuel HACHE is a Scientific Assistant and Economist-Prospectiveist at IFP Énergies nouvelles and Research Director at IRIS. He holds a PhD in Economic Sciences and is also a graduate in Geopolitics and Prospective from the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS). His research focuses on energy foresight and natural resource issues for the ecological transition. He is the author of the book Géopolitique des énergies published by Editions Eyrolles in September 2022 and Métaux, le nouvel or noir published by Editions du Rocher in September 2023, and more than eighty articles in French and international academic journals.