The transition to a cleaner energy mix, essential for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, will significantly increase demand for metals critical to renewable energy technologies. Energy Transition Metals (ETMs), including copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements,...

Gasspeicher sind ein zentraler Baustein für eine sichere Energieversorgung und damit für eine funktionierende Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Derzeit bietet der Markt jedoch kaum Anreize, die Gasspeicher zu nutzen oder in deren Erhalt zu investieren. Im Gegenteil: Seit November letzten Jahres...

In July 2024, the European Union (EU) and the Serbian government signed a strategic raw materials partnership. For the EU, this cooperation represents an important step towards diversifying its supply chains and strengthening economic partnerships in its neighbourhood. Serbian President...

Securing access to critical raw materials has become a top priority for governments worldwide, particularly in light of geopolitical disruptions and increasing demand for materials essential to the green transition and advanced technologies. Ukraine holds substantial reserves of key raw...

We map the mining sector in Europe, with a focus on Energy Transition Metals (ETMs), and present an in-depth analysis of the environmental impact and associated monetary costs, at the regional level, of extraction activities. We aim to offer a spatially disaggregated view of the current mining...

Multiple geopolitical disruptions have highlighted the need for firms to diversify their supply chains. For Germany and the EU, this might imply an increased reliance on Africa, the neighboring continent, for example when it comes to sourcing critical raw materials for the energy transition...

Gasspeicher sind ein zentraler Baustein für eine sichere Energieversorgung und damit für eine funktionierende Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Derzeit bietet der Markt jedoch kaum Anreize, die Gasspeicher zu nutzen oder in deren Erhalt zu investieren. Im Gegenteil: Seit November 2024 beobachten...

Diversifying the supply of mineral resources is a strategic necessity - one in which resource-rich countries of the Global South play a crucial role. Zambia, which is a major global copper exporter and possesses other critical raw materials, is seeking long-term alliances that will mobilise...

Horizon Europe is the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation. Under Horizon Europe, the EU supports the sustainable supply of raw materials and provides funding opportunities in the entire value chain.

Strategic autonomy can be bolstered by applying circularity strategies such as reducing primary inputs and recycling critical raw materials in key technologies. However, effective actions require high definition at the material or technology level, leading to a non-systematic and often tedious...

Horizon Europe is the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation. Under Horizon Europe, the EU supports the sustainable supply of raw materials and provides funding opportunities in the entire value chain.

The European Union (EU) is aiming to strengthen its cooperation with like-minded countries to secure its supply of so-called critical raw materials. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen considers Canada a "perfect match" - a resource-rich and reliable partner that shares the EU’s...

The recent political consensus on the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) marks a significant step towards a common raw materials policy within the European Union (EU). Against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions, the EU aims to bolster its "strategic autonomy" within its raw...

Die Sicherung von strategischen mineralischen Rohstoffen ist für die wirtschaftliche Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, insbesondere in Deutschland, von besonderer Bedeutung. Der Beitrag hebt die Abhängigkeit von Importen hervor, die zu einer Abhängigkeit von rohstoffreichen Ländern führt. Es werden...

Bis zum Jahr 2030 will die EU mindestens 10% der strategischen Rohstoffe, die sie verbraucht, im eigenen Land gewinnen bzw. verarbeiten (40%) und recyceln (25%). Nicht mehr als 65% dieser wichtigen, aber seltenen Ressourcen sollen aus einem einzigen Drittland stammen. Die Benchmarks des Critical...

Saudi Arabia has entered the geopolitical competition for mineral resources - and it has done so in a determined manner and with substantial funds at its disposal. As part of its Vision 2030, the Kingdom aims to strengthen local processing and industrial value added. Currently, Saudi Arabia...

The war in Ukraine has brought the challenges stemming from Europe's dependency on natural gas and oil imports into sharp focus. This has also highlighted another dependency - that on raw materials that are critical for the EU's transition to a low-carbon economy. A strategic approach to raw...

The supply disruption of the critical raw material and the manufacturer's pre-disaster insufficient relief supply reserves significantly affect the relief supply chain system. To solve this dilemma, we divide the demand for relief supplies into critical and non-critical periods according to...

Assessing the trade of raw materials in relation to supply risk and sustainability is essential. Data on international trade flows (in quantity and monetary value) are widely available from several databases and classifications (e.g. UN Comtrade, Eurostat Comext) for narrowly defined product...

Datasets for various indicators are compiled for the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS), a data platform of the European Commission (JRC) dedicated to raw materials. The data collection and assessment process aims to ensure the quality and reliability of data used in RMIS and facilitate...

The transition to a low-carbon energy future requires large amounts of many raw materials. Some of these materials are deemed critical in terms of their limited availability, concentrated supply chain networks, associated environmental impact, and various social issues. Acknowledging the...

The war in Ukraine has brought the challenges stemming from Europe’s dependency on natural gas and oil imports into sharp focus. This has also highlighted another dependency - that on raw materials that are critical for the EU’s transition to a low-carbon economy. A strategic approach to raw...

Access to secure and stable supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) is vital for Europe's economic security. These raw materials, which are indispensable inputs for Europe's modernisation, are supplied by a handful of countries. Among them, China and Russia are two of the most important European...

When it comes to being supplied with raw materials, Europe faces a number of chal­lenges. These include the diversification of European supply chains, the implementation of effective sustainability standards, and the reduction of strategic dependencies on China. What will European-Chinese raw...