Gretel Cuevas Verdin

Gretel is a researcher and writer whose work explores the intersection of critical minerals, the energy transition, and economic development. Her research focuses on how resource-rich countries can build more equitable and sustainable futures through better governance, industrial policy, and international cooperation.

She is a researcher in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, where she works with the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme on research related to critical mineral supply chains, industrial development, and the energy transition. Her work spans collaborations with governments, international organisations, and development partners to support evidence-based policy on resource governance and sustainable economic development.

As a Watson Fellow, Gretel conducted field research in mining communities across Africa and Asia. She has also collaborated with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), as well as governments and civil society organisations in Zambia and Malawi, on issues related to critical minerals, industrial policy, and economic transformation.

Alongside her academic work, Gretel writes essays and fiction exploring the human dimensions of extraction, development, and environmental change.