Introduction: Fighting for a Sustainable Future
As the United Nations (UN) climate change conference (COP26) looms, the need for global cooperation and collaboration has never been more clear. In order to meet the goals laid out for a transition towards a sustainable future, knowledge-sharing between industries, governments and academics is a must. Breakthroughs in technology require innovation and creativity. This can only be achieved through diversity – both within companies, and amongst its partnerships. Each individual and business has their own experiences and ways of doing things, this is evident when working with international entities.
The procedures may be different, or even the way of seeing and reacting to a challenge, but in the end the solution may work just as well or better than one you have worked on yourself. This is where the depth of human innovation can be seen, and also illustrates why effective communication and collaboration can be important in developing the latest breakthrough. Knowledge-sharing opportunities across sectors and borders is what is needed to help push the world towards a sustainable future, but also a more cohesive one.
Global Issues Require Global Solutions
The climate crisis and its impacts have created a divide between nations, exacerbating both climate extremes and socio-economic rifts to the point where the largest climate change conference in the world could be on the verge of failure. However, this has provided an opportunity for more collaboration on a smaller scale. Where governments have been unable to find compromises, entire industries have begun a shift towards sustainability.
Globally, car manufacturers are shifting towards electric vehicles, aided in part by government policy and consumer demand, but also because of a wider transition throughout the industry. At its core, a shift of this size would not be possible without international cooperation as it affects multiple facets of the industry, including their supply chains and associated service industries. In turn, this promotes the development of new technologies capable of meeting these new demands on a global scale – and the only way of finding a global solution is cooperation.
Companies evolving within the sustainability sphere must find ways to work with another or liaise with other major entities across their industry. No one company is set to unlock the answer to such a complex issue by itself, but it could help provide a core component to a project already being undertaken elsewhere that can have much farther reach and impact. It is for this reason that EnergyX has continually sought out industry leaders and individuals with similar goals across various sectors. The company itself was founded on the idea that international collaborations were the key to sustainability.
Stronger as One
EnergyX started as an idea following a trip to the Salar de Uyuni in Bolvia that highlighted the opportunities behind a more sustainable and efficient lithium extraction process and supply chain. It only began to develop following conversations with leading academics and researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, who explained that the Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology that EnergyX was seeking to develop was in its infancy, with multiple projects globally all seeking to to find the same solution in different ways. But why not work together?
From the materials laboratories at UT, to the South American mine sites of Australian lithium giant Orocobre, and the factories of French water management company SUEZ, EnergyX’s network grew. Orocobre, an established conglomerate with interest in finding new solutions in lithium extraction, gave EnergyX an inside track into the global lithium sector. In terms of water-based technologies, SUEZ is a worldwide leader in the field and involved in a range of industrial processing programmes – providing EnergyX with added expertise for its technology.
Now, In conjunction with the Bolivian government, the company has been working towards testing its DLE technology, LiTAS™, in the field, with results expected to have repercussions on the global lithium market. A small American company based in Puerto Rico has drawn from global leaders to improve and collaborate on technology that can have wide-ranging impacts on the sector, and the world at large. Cooperation is key – especially when seeking out global solutions to global issues.
Conclusion: International Cooperation is Key To Sustainable Solutions
To successfully reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN notes that sustainability “Can only be realized with strong global partnerships and cooperation. A successful development agenda requires inclusive partnerships at the global, regional, national and local levels built upon principles and values, and upon a shared vision and shared goals placing people and the planet at the centre.” Simply put, finding global sustainability solutions means drawing from international connections. EnergyX, like many other successful companies before it, is always on the lookout for collaborations – local or international – that can take the world one step closer to a sustainable future.