Dr Jim West

Originally from a background in economic geology, I would now best be described as an Industrial Ecologist. On joining CSIRO in 2004, my work focussed on modelling the physical inputs and outputs which characterise different systems of the Australian economy. From 2008 this broadened to include Global Economy Wide Material Flow Accounting (EW-MFA), and analysis of the efficiency with which different economies convert material flows to national income.

Other research activities prior to 2013 included modelling linkages between GHG emissions and energy use in S.E. Queensland's water system, and modelling the costs and benefits of alternative policy responses for built infrastructure, in reaction to different climate change scenarios.

From 2013, I concentrated on the branch of Industrial Ecology (Socioeconomic Metabolism) which deals with the material and energy requirements of development. My PhD was in this area, analysing the natural resources demands required to transition billions of people from agrarian to industrialized societies.

I took on a prominent role in the creation and maintenance of key enabling research infrastructure in this field. Coordinating the creation of the UNEP sponsored Global Material Flows Database is the most significant example. My role here is ongoing. Initiating substantial redesign of materials classification systems, and capacity building programs to better meet the policy needs of resource-based economies, being major recent (2020-2022) contributions.

My background in geology and the mining industry has also enabled me to make valuable contributions to Industrial Ecology community’s understanding of the realities (versus common misconceptions) around the depletion of mineral resources.

The combination of a Socioeconomic Metabolic perspective, and knowledge of the mining industry, has lead me to a strong research interest in the materials requirements of the energy transition. This included designing and implementing a sophisticated stocks and flows framework to model the impact of electric vehicles on metals demand, and as potential electricity storage for grid stabilisation. Related contributions here include co-authorship of papers, reports, and roadmaps on the topic of metals critical to the energy transition. This area has become my main research interest.