CEENRG Thursday seminars: 'Rare earths – production, trade and geopolitics: A global review and the Jiangxi province case study, China'

Speaker: Dr Colin Barnes (CEENRG Fellow, University of Cambridge)

The Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy, and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG) is hosting a seminar series throughout the 2025-26 academic year.

This presentation considers the global importance of rare earth elements (REEs) at the global level and in China. China is the largest producer of rare earths as well as in the chemical isolation of REE elements (the lanthanides) and the production of permanent magnets, whose importance is their use is in wind turbines, electric vehicles, medical equipment, computers and military technology. The demand for rare earth-based technology and supply, which is dominated by China, is leading to a scramble for rare earths and associated technologies and, in the case of China and the USA, geopolitics. REEs exist in many countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greenland India, Norway, Myanmar, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam. However, the separation and processing and supply chain development in these countries lags Chinese technology.

Seminars take place as hybrid meetings (in person seminars in the DAB - David Attenborough Building + online in Zoom) every Thursday (please check precise time as may vary) during the term. Please register online to receive the Zoom link on the day of the seminar. Everyone is welcome!