Session Agenda
Tuesday OCTOBER 31
9-9:45a | Registration & Coffee and Bagels
9:45-10:15a | Introductory Talk - Reporting Responsible Supply Chains
Omri Even Tov, Professor, UC Berkeley & Author of The Real Effects of Conflict Minerals Disclosures
10:30-11:15a | Panel - Detailing Supply Chains: Ethical Issues of Mining in the Developing World
This panel discussion aims to detail the difficulties faced by peoples and environments of developing nations where minerals are extracted, as well as focus on how corporations, governments and NGO’s influence how minerals are extracted in these contexts. - Pre Panel Reading by Dan Kammen
11:30-12:15p | Panel - Innovations in Mineral Extraction
This panel discussion will host innovative business leaders finding novel means of extracting resources, through technology and ingenuity. The conversation will cover the need for such innovations and projections around how mineral extraction for the energy transition will look moving forward.
11:30-12:15p | Panel - Innovations in Mineral Use
This panel discussion will host innovative business leaders finding novel means of using resources, through technology and ingenuity. The conversation will cover the need for such innovations and projections around how mineral use for the energy transition will look moving forward.
12:15-1p | Lunch
1-1:45p | Panel - Impact of Critical Minerals on the EV Industry
This panel discussion aims to cover the inadequate availability and uneven distribution of critical minerals, and the ethical concerns surrounding the extraction of these minerals. It will raise questions about the viability of EVs and emphasize the need for innovative solutions to ensure a responsible and stable supply.
1-1:45p | Panel - Mineral Recycling and Second Life Considerations
To responsibly use any good, one needs to consider the afterlife portion of that good’s existence. This principle holds true for mineral based assets used in the clean energy future. This panel will cover the various ways we can reuse, recycle or otherwise responsibly dispose of these assets, and the considerations for various methods of post primary use that are employed today and may be employed moving forward.
2-2:45p | Panel - Unearthing Truths: The Impact of Critical Mineral Extraction
This panel discussion aims to shed light on the complex web of issues surrounding critical mineral extraction, with a focus on tribal sovereignty, and explore solutions for more sustainable technological innovation.
2-3:45p | VC Pitch Competition
4-4:30p | Keynote: A Conversation with Vivas Kumar, CEO and Co-Founder, Mitra Chem and Ellen Ehrenpreis, Partner at Orrick
4:30p | Happy Hour at Freehouse
Event hosted by BERC to meet and network with fellow Energy and Resources professionals, researchers, faculty, and students
Monday, OCTOBER 30
9:30-10a | Registration & Coffee and Bagels
10-10:15a | Welcome Remarks
10:15-11a | Panel - Mineral Policy and the Inflation Reduction Act
This panel discussion will focus on the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on the critical mineral supply chain. The conversation will cover the law’s relevant new tax credits, its interactions with other environmental laws, its implications for the mining industry, and other policy roadblocks that may still lie ahead as the demand for critical minerals increases.
11:15a-12p | Panel - Navigating the Lithium Landscape
In the global quest for a sustainable future, lithium stands as a crucial element for developing clean energy technologies, most notably lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. However, the extraction process often brings with it a host of ethical and environmental dilemmas. This panel delves into the multifaceted world of lithium, exploring critical issues surrounding its extraction and its vital role in the transition to a clean energy future.
12-1:30p | Break
1:30-4:30p | Career Fair
Booths for participating companies, attended by undergraduate and graduate students across UC Berkeley departments
1:30-3:30p | Research & Innovation Expo
Showcase of undergraduate, graduate, and post-doc research, primarily at UC Berkeley. Includes judging panel and prizes for students. Check out student presenters and their project titles here!
4-4:30p | Research & Innovation Expo Award Ceremony
Award ceremony to present and highlight the judge based awards and audience choice awards.