Diana Rincon Valbuena
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Current PhD student
Biography
I am currently in my second year as a PhD student in Global Sustainable Development as part of the TRANSFORM programme, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
My research focuses on analysing the integration and assessment of the socio-political impacts on local communities caused by the intensive mining of critical raw materials (CRM) for mass-producing low-carbon technologies, including the perspectives of global corporations and the realities faced by mining communities in the Cerrado, Brazil, to contribute to a just transition process. This research project is conducted in collaboration with the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Group at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG).
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and an Honours Master’s degree in Management. I have worked for six years in technical and sales support for materials of various applications, including adhesives and sealants, across multiple manufacturing industries in Colombia and Latin America. In addition to my professional experience, I have conducted postgraduate applied research, focusing on integrating sustainable and resilient construction in developing countries. I have also worked on volunteer projects to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people in Colombia and the UK.
Research Overview
My research explores perspectives on the integration and assessment of the socio-political impacts of intensive mining of Critical Raw Materials (CRM) on vulnerable communities, mainly in the Global South. It aims to identify which of these socio-political impacts are considered most critical for inclusion in corporate sustainable practices by organisations relying on these minerals for large-scale production of low-carbon technologies worldwide, in line with current social sustainability standards for production systems, especially through the social life cycle assessment of products and organisations (S-LCA/SO-LCA) framework. Additionally, my project aims to empirically capture the site-specific socio-political impacts on communities directly affected by CRM mining in the Cerrado region of Brazil, a crucial area for the global supply of these transition minerals.
This analysis of socio-political impacts—considering both the position of organisations demanding CRM mainly located in the Global North and the experiences of local communities directly affected by the intensive extraction of CRM in the Cerrado Region, situated in the Global South—aims to contribute to strengthening frameworks and regulations that promote social sustainability for the mass low-carbon technology production to support a just, reliable, and socially responsible energy transition.
Academic Background
- PhD in Global Sustainable Development - University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Master’s in Management - Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Bogotá, Colombia
- BSc in Chemical Engineering - Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Bogota, Colombia
Supervisors
- Dr Stuart Coles - Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing at WMG
- Dr Kerry Kirwan - Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing at WMG
- Dr Maria Gavris - Institute for Global Sustainable Development, School of Cross-faculty Studies
Research interests
With a particular focus on:
- The social sustainability standards for production systems, such as social life cycle assessment of products and organisations (S-LCA/SO-LCA).
- The potential socio-political impacts of intensive mining of transition minerals or CRM.
- Local communities (peasants, indigenous people and traditional groups) impacted by mining.
- Considerations of the social cost associated with producing low-carbon technologies towards a just transition process.
- Policies, agreements and governance regarding socio-environmental sustainability in the supply of transition minerals.
- Managing social licence to operate through local community engagement for CRM mining.
Funding and awards
- Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarship (2024–2028)
- Meritorious mention for my master's thesis. (The Council of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Bogota, Feb 2022)
- First place in the XXI COLAEIQ Posters contest. (21st Latin-American Congress of Chemical Engineering Students - Guatemala City, July 2015)
Publications
- Rincón Valbuena, D. (2021). Determinación de los Factores Críticos de Éxito (FCE) para la integración de la sostenibilidad en la gestión de proyectos de construcción de edificaciones en Colombia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. https://repositorio.unal.edu.co/handle/unal/81160