EU member state investment treaties have been criticized for potentially deterring EU countries from pursuing desirable policy measures. This paper explores whether these treaties can nonetheless serve a beneficial geoeconomic function for the EU by safeguarding EU investments in five minerals...

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...

The demand for critical minerals is rising in support of the low-carbon energy transition, as well as global economic growth. Despite its hostile environment, the Arctic is a region with historic and existing mineral production. This paper assesses the potential of the Arctic to make a...

Unternehmen, die Tantal, Wolfram, Zinn und Gold in die Europäische Union (EU) importieren und einen bestimmten Schwellenwert überschreiten, müssen seit 2021 Sorgfaltspflichten umsetzen um zu verhindern, durch ihre Beschaffungspraktiken zu Konflikten und Menschenrechtsverletzungen beizutragen....

Zambia aspires to be a prosperous middle-income country by 2030. To that end, the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has set out an aggressive economic diversification and industrialization agenda driven by the agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and tourism sectors. With regards to...

Global demand for specific mineral raw materials is increasing, driven largely by the energy and digital transition. Although the EU is making efforts to boost domestic supply, it will remain highly dependent on imports of those minerals from third countries to achieve strategic autonomy in...

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...

South Sudan's extensive renewable natural resources are critically important to its predominantly rural population, which relies on largely subsistence livelihoods and has limited access to the market economy. Until recently, almost all South Sudanese lived directly off the land, while colonial...

As the demand for critical minerals to the energy transition strongly grows, it is crucial to understand whether their supply is able to match it. In this paper, we address this question by estimating the price elasticity of supply for 8 minerals between 2000 and 2019, using mine-level...

Economic super-powers are racing to control critical minerals in developing economies fueling conflict, environmental damage and poverty. In this paper, we first explore what could well constitute a new “critical minerals curse”. We then highlight the dualism of institutions required for...

It has often been argued that countries that produce natural resources mobilize less non-resource tax revenues than other countries. In this paper, we exploit the exogenous variation in the timing of giant oilfield discoveries to estimate the causal impact of natural resources on taxation. The...

Clay minerals are a key factor in mineral soils as they are controlling physic, chemical and biological soil properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been widely used to identify and quantify minerals in earth science The aim of this research is to describe the clay minerals in soils...

The topic of natural resources has been widely discussed since the negative relationship between natural resource abundance and economic growth was empirically proved. Many scientists believe that this negative relationship is caused by institutional factors presented in a country rich in...

Understanding how corruption affects the relationship between natural resources and growth has profound implications for sustainable development goals in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study investigates the nexus between natural resources, economic growth, and corruption in SSA from 1985 to...

The significance of natural resources in facilitating financial activity is crucial in achieving a nation's sustainable economic advancement. This research directed to investigate the consequences of economic growth, rents of natural resources, and capitalization on financial development within...

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...

This paper explores whether foreign aid is self-interested, exploiting the timing and size of major mineral discoveries. We first analyze the effect a resource discovery in a two-by-two donor-recipient model with conflict about natural resources, using a contest success function. We then...

A technical assistance (TA) mission was undertaken with the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE), Colombia between May 20-24, 2024. The objective of the mission was to support DANE in the compilation of updated energy and air emissions accounts, mineral and energy monetary...