Sustainable Resources | Prof Michael Hitch

Author: Jessica Morrison, Professor Michael Hitch
Published: Tue 12 Apr 2022
Episode Link: https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/podcasts/

How will our resource use and mining operations change as we move towards a sustainable, decarbonised future?

In this episode, Jessica is joined by Professor Michael Hitch, the Head of Curtin University’s renowned Western Australian School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering (WASM: MECE). The school has for the past six years ranked as the world’s second-best mining school in the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Together, they unpack how the mining industry is shifting towards a greater focus on economic sufficiency, social wellbeing and biophysical integrity.

Benefits of adopting a circular economy [01:11]
Importance of a ‘Social License to Operate’ [08:55]
Challenges in the developing world [11:55]
Professor Hitch’s transition from industry to academia [14:13]
Western Australia’s role in the future of mining [16:22]
Rethinking our use of sustainable resources [19:08]

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Professor Michael Hitch is the Head of WASM: MECE. Prior to beginning his academic career, he had 20 years of industry experience, which saw him travel frequently around the globe.

Professor Hitch has extensively studied the benefits of the circular economy model, Social Licenses to Operate, sequestering human-caused carbon dioxide emissions and extracting valuable byproducts in mining processes.

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