How Do We Make a Smart Future Green?

What makes the device you're reading this on work?

How do we find and extract these crucial materials? And how do we power our world (and our scrolling) without further damaging the planet and putting communities at risk? Join a live panel of international experts in a discussion about these key questions surrounding the energy critical elements our technological present and green future depend on.

About the speakers

Professor Richard Herrington is the head of the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum. His research projects focus on the impacts of cobalt and rare earth metals on the natural environment. He also works with the mining industry to consider better and more sustainable mining techniques.

Tirza Voss is the Sustainable Materials and Mining Manger at Fairphone, a social enterprise that is working to build a movement for fairer electronics by opening up supply chains and building stronger connections between people and their products. Their latest product, the Fairphone 3+, launched in 2020, uses a modular system that allows owners to repair and replace parts themselves, and is made from over 40% recycled plastic.

Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo is the President of the Africa Women in Mining Association (AWIMA) and Ghana Women in Mining. After studying mining law and policy at the University of Ghana, she established her own locally owned mining and exploration supplies company. She was selected as Global Inspirational Woman in Mining by WIM UK and as Female Entrepreneur of the Year by Invest in Africa, an NGO championing small African-owned mines across the continent.