The long answer requires a rethink of our transport system.

Replacing all our current petrol and diesel cars with electric cars like for like would reduce carbon emissions on our roads in Scotland but would not reduce overall demand for cars and the associated production emissions globally. We need better public transport and investment in infrastructure for cycling, wheeling and walking, so we don’t need as many cars overall.

Replacing Scotland’s 2.5 million fossil fuel cars and 4,400 buses like for like would require 20,200 tonnes of lithium in total. If the proportion of journeys in Scotland taken by bus increased to 30% (which would bring the proportion of journeys made by public transport in Scotland up to the levels we see in London today) lithium requirements would be 13,800 tonnes (32% less).

We also need to stop using lithium for unnecessary purposes Single-use vapes, which have a readily available reusable alternative, each have a lithium-ion battery With an estimated 1.16 million bought each month and 108,000 thrown away each week across Scotland, this is enough lithium to produce around 99 electric car batteries in a year

As well as reducing demand, better use of lithium once it enters the economy can also limit its impacts by replacing requirements for new resources We need better reuse and recycling of lithium batteries. The batteries used in electric vehicles still retain around 80% of their capacity when they reach the end of their life, so with the right processing they can still be used for less demanding applications for many more years. At the moment, it’s not clear who owns batteries when they reach the end of life in electric vehicles The Scottish Government must provide clarity on this to ensure responsible companies can act to increase reuse and recycling of batteries.

In Scotland, our consumption of goods and services has global impacts. We want the Scottish Government to create a resource justice strategy to ensure it’s taking into account all of these issues, and the similar ones that arise from the other minerals that will be in high demand as we transition away from fossil fuels. This must both drive supply chain due diligence, and minimise mineral demand. Transitioning away from fossil fuels is vital for a liveable planet, but we must not create another crisis in doing so.