Securing the UK’s supplies of sustainable lithium
We are delighted to have published our policy manifesto, which outlines how and why the UK must secure its domestic supplies of sustainable lithium. A homegrown supply of lithium is critical for the UK—critical for our green industrial base, our car manufacturing industry, our transition to a lower carbon economy, and our national security.
The UK has the largest lithium reserves in Europe, with enough under our feet in Cornwall to extract 50,000 tonnes per year for over 20 years—over half of what the EV industry needs. Right now, we import 100% of the lithium we use. It’s a wasted opportunity that makes our industries less resilient to global supply chain volatility.
This comprehensive report is the result of rigorous research and extensive consultations with industry leaders, policymakers, MPs, and sustainability experts. It unpacks the issues of unstable supply, increasing demand, and regulatory constraints that trouble the UK’s current import-dependent strategy and calls on the UK Government to make three high-impact and cost-free policy changes that will deliver growth nationwide:
- Set a UK extraction target of 50,000 tpa of lithium carbonate equivalent from domestically sourced raw materials per year by 2030.
- Ensure that the regulatory and policy landscape is focused on delivering the new UK domestic production target.
- Establish a traceability standard that will future-proof our ability to use and trade lithium produced in the UK.
These policy changes will unlock the potential of the domestic industry, which will support businesses and create economic growth nationwide.