UQ researchers lead global push to make world’s most used material responsible

University of Queensland mineral security experts have launched a global coalition to improve how aggregates, clays, industrial sands, natural stones, and high-purity quartz are governed and controlled. 

UQ researchers and global sustainability advocates behind the Coalition for Responsible Sand and Silicates are pushing for 'long overdue' standards for the world's most traded solids and they want more companies to join their coalition.

Co-lead of the coalition Dr Louise Gallagher said sands and silicates were a cornerstone of modern society with tens of billions of tonnes used each year to build homes, infrastructure, and a range of electronics and energy systems.  

“The demand for sand and silicates is now so large that is has the potential to shape ecosystems, landscapes and markets globally, but businesses have not yet developed diligence processes to ensure responsible extraction, production and use,” Dr Gallagher said.  

“It is an invisible problem that needs to be fixed.” 

The Coalition was incubated by the Global Centre for Mineral Security at UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, with the financial and in-kind support from Inter IKEA Group, Roca Group, MCS Portugal, Silica Resources Australia, and the Australian Department of Education, via the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer.

A multistakeholder not-for-profit, the initiative has already gained the support of companies such as Roca Group, MCS Portugal, Silica Resources Australia and organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The initiative also builds on the findings of the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) recent report, Due Diligence for Responsible Sand and Silicate Supply Chains, which provides an overview of risks related to responsible business conduct in sand and silicate supply chains and shares practical guidance for companies and policymakers on conducting meaningful due diligence to identify, prevent and address these risks.

Director of the SMI’s Global Centre for Mineral Security, and co-founder of the coalition, Professor Daniel Franks, said affordable access to sand is essential for shelter and human survival. 

“But our use of these materials can’t come at the expense of our rivers and beaches,” Professor Franks said.  

Sending a signal on sustainability

Co-lead of the coalition and UQ PhD candidate Daniel Holm said the group aimed to link standards bodies, companies and policymakers along the sand and silicate supply chain. 

“The coalition will also serve as a voluntary sustainability commitment that industry can use to signal it is serious about addressing the mounting risks around these materials,” Mr Holm said.  

Mr Holm said these risks range from ecosystem and wildlife disruption to various human rights and systemic risks, including forced labour and indigenous rights violations. 

"The problems are real, but global pressure for secure supply of these vital materials means we cannot just phase sand and silicates out of supply chains,” Mr Holm said.  

“And the substitutes and the alternatives just aren't available at scale.  

Inter IKEA Group Raw Material Manager and coalition co-founder Louise von Ehrenheim said these materials are being found across so many products in our homes and lives, still being ignored.   

"We need to change that. We need to urgently define what good looks like and how to foster responsible practises."  

“The aim of the coalition is to establish common grounds on definitions and frameworks, gather likeminded partners who want to do good, and build innovative solutions to environmental and social challenges, to make a difference which works in everyday business.”    

Companies and foundations interested in joining the Coalition for Responsible Sand and Silicates are encouraged visit the group’s website for more information.