Shaping UK minerals policy
OUTCOMES from the UK Minerals Forum’s first two-year cycle of work were summarized and discussed at last month’s CBI Living With Minerals 3 conference, which took place in London and attracted around 300 senior executives and managers from the minerals industry, planning departments, consultancies, environmental bodies and various other stakeholder organizations.
Following an introduction by Nigel Jackson, chairman of the CBI Minerals Group, and a keynote address by John Cridland, deputy director general of the CBI, delegates heard three different perspectives on issues affecting minerals supply by eminent guest speakers Robert Flies, environmental advisor with the European Commission; Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England; and Aubrey Manning, Emeritus Prof. of Natural History, University of Edinburgh.
The conference proceedings then moved on to the work of the UK Minerals Forum, which, since its launch in November 2006, has addressed four main issues: Declining minerals reserves and the future security of supply; Minerals extraction in National Parks & AONB; Carbon and proximity of mineral supply; and Cumulative impact of policy, legislation and regulation.
Each of these issues has been considered by a specially assembled working group, drawing upon published information and specially commissioned work. The four convenors of the working groups – Andrew Bloodworth, Ruth Chambers, Lester Hicks and Simon van der Byl, respectively – were present at the event to summarize and report on the results of this work, ably facilitated by TV presenter and businessman Michael Rodd.
In a departure from the two previous Living With Minerals conferences, this year’s event was highly interactive, with all delegates able to vote on key questions and proposals raised by the various working groups by means of hand-held electronic keypads. Delegates were also given the opportunity to voice their individual thoughts and opinions on specific issues as the results of the various votes were presented on screen.
Following the conference, the work of the four working groups, including the feedback from delegates at the event, will be fed to Government advisors within the Forum (representing DEFRA, CLG and BERR) in an effort to influence decision-makers and other stakeholders on key issues and public policy.
Following an introduction by Nigel Jackson, chairman of the CBI Minerals Group, and a keynote address by John Cridland, deputy director general of the CBI, delegates heard three different perspectives on issues affecting minerals supply by eminent guest speakers Robert Flies, environmental advisor with the European Commission; Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England; and Aubrey Manning, Emeritus Prof. of Natural History, University of Edinburgh.
The conference proceedings then moved on to the work of the UK Minerals Forum, which, since its launch in November 2006, has addressed four main issues: Declining minerals reserves and the future security of supply; Minerals extraction in National Parks & AONB; Carbon and proximity of mineral supply; and Cumulative impact of policy, legislation and regulation.
Each of these issues has been considered by a specially assembled working group, drawing upon published information and specially commissioned work. The four convenors of the working groups – Andrew Bloodworth, Ruth Chambers, Lester Hicks and Simon van der Byl, respectively – were present at the event to summarize and report on the results of this work, ably facilitated by TV presenter and businessman Michael Rodd.
In a departure from the two previous Living With Minerals conferences, this year’s event was highly interactive, with all delegates able to vote on key questions and proposals raised by the various working groups by means of hand-held electronic keypads. Delegates were also given the opportunity to voice their individual thoughts and opinions on specific issues as the results of the various votes were presented on screen.
Following the conference, the work of the four working groups, including the feedback from delegates at the event, will be fed to Government advisors within the Forum (representing DEFRA, CLG and BERR) in an effort to influence decision-makers and other stakeholders on key issues and public policy.
