UNESCO Lecture Series: Earth Materials for a Sustainable and Thriving Society

26 January - 09 March 2021

An IUGS and iCRAG collaboration.

UNESCO Earth sciences team organized these lectures between 26 January and 09 March 2021 with more than 4000 registrations from 145 countries.

Recordings and materials are available on the iCRAG website.

Minerals and other Earth materials are a key component in the development of a sustainable global society, providing essential raw materials for technologies and economic growth while respecting the natural world. This programme of lectures, designed for a global audience, will provide diverse perspectives on Earth materials and their role in society. Leading natural scientists, social scientists, and educators will look at how Earth materials are critical to a sustainable future and how the minerals sector, adhering to best practices, can contribute to society in a socially and environmentally positive way.

The lectures will be delivered in webinar format by recognized global experts who will frame their presentations in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Series will boost knowledge of Earth materials and contribute to better informed local, regional, and international discussions. The lectures will be freely accessible and will be archived for later online access.

The Lecture Series is sponsored by UNESCO, the only United Nations organization with a mandate to support research and capacity building in the Earth Sciences. The Series supports the vision of UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme for efficient, safe, sustainable and renewable natural resources exploration and extraction.

SESSIONS

• Earth materials: the foundation for development 

• Climate neutrality, the circular economy, and earth materials

• The neglected minerals and materials of development ​

• Mineral extraction and communities​

• Suppliers, consumers, and the global minerals supply chain  

• Earth materials and a sustainable future

• Closing remarks by UNESCO representative.

​​Languages:

All sessions will be conducted in English with live captioning in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, and Hindi.

Download the information flyer:

• English 

• French

• Spanish

• Portuguese

Queries about the series: unescolectures@icrag-centre.org

Media partners:

• AGI - American Geosciences Institute

• SEG - Society of Economic Geologists

• IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics

• ODH - Ore Deposits Hub