Oxford EARTH’s Internal Launch - An Official Introduction to Oxford’s New Pioneering Programme

Programme Director Prof Mike Kendall introducing Oxford EARTH. Credit: Dr Roger Close

On 23rd September 2025, Oxford EARTH welcomed colleagues from across the University of Oxford to its Internal Launch at the Museum of Natural History, offering attendees a first official glimpse into the programme’s mission and research. This event marked a key milestone for the Oxford EARTH programme, signalling its readiness to collaborate with researchers across the wider university.

Oxford EARTH’s mission is to tackle one of the biggest challenges of the net zero transition - securing the resources required to produce clean energy in ways that are sustainable, responsible, and fair. The bold ambitions of the programme require open discussion with the University community, and launching the programme to internal audiences reflects its commitment to a culture of transparency and feedback. 

As Programme Director, Prof Mike Kendall emphasized during his opening address, the energy transition cannot rely on a ‘business as usual’ approach. Honouring this principle means drawing on expertise from across Oxford’s world-leading academic community, and Oxford EARTH team were delighted that so many disciplines were represented in the audience.  

The event drew 109 colleagues from across the University, with strong representation from STEM divisions. Over half of attendees came from MPLS (60%), followed by Social Sciences (18%). Smaller numbers joined from GLAM and Medical Sciences, while only 1% represented the Humanities. This gap in representation is one the programme board is keen to address. Greater engagement from Humanities scholars will enrich vital discussions around the historical, social, ethical, and societal dimensions of Oxford EARTH’s work. 
 
The event featured presentations and a panel discussion led by Research Director, Prof Jon Blundy and Co-investigators Dr Caitlin McElroy, Dr Joe Bull, and Dr Harrison Steel. Together, they offered insight into some of Oxford EARTH’s core research themes:

• The untapped potential of volcanoes for sourcing critical minerals and the possibility of recovering them as part of existing geothermal energy operations.  

•  The role of a circular economy in enabling equitable resource recovery, reducing environmental impact, and reshaping industrial and social systems. 

• The industrial impact of resource extraction on biodiversity, and pathways for ecologically responsible recovery.

The panel also explored other key topics, including microbial mineral bioproduction, natural resource abundance and its relation to the ‘resource curse’, and potential barriers to Oxford EARTH’s ambitious goals. Audience members were encouraged to contribute to discussions, which provided the programme with early feedback on its approaches. 

Key takeaways from the panel discussion and Q&A included the importance of comprehensive and consistent funding, communicating the findings of the research to policy makers and the public, and stakeholder engagement across a wide variety of contexts and diverse perspectives.  The discussion underscored the complex, context-dependent nature of social license and the need for ongoing interdisciplinary research to support inclusive and effective decision-making. 

Questions not addressed during the session were collected via an online poll and will be explored in future communications and events. If you wish to receive updates on these questions, follow Oxford EARTH via the links below.