The abundantly available iron and copper remain at the centre of sustainable infrastructure and electrification. As the global population increases, so does our need for these materials, and with it comes the tension between hopes of a greener future and the devastation of the natural world and indigenous rights.

'Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Our Future', written by Ed Conway, explores which materials we have relied upon to build civilisations and how we will use them to forge our future.

Abridged by Anna Magnusson
Read by John Hollingworth
Produced by Naomi Walmsley Show less