RAW4RES

ISSUE ADDRESSED

Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) and metals widely used by the EU industry, such as lithium, palladium, cobalt and aluminium, are at the core of the transition to a low carbon economy (e.g., manufacturing of electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines). Still, the EU depends heavily on imports from countries with low governance standards (e.g., Congo, China, Russia), which jeopardizes the Green Deal and exposes territorial value chains to economic volatility and geopolitical risks. At the same time, domestic sourcing is met with public opposition due to mining businesses’ low sustainability performance, and recycling ecosystems are not yet mature enough to provide adequate supplies.

RAW4RES aims to address the need for improved policy support for raw materials resilience, responsible domestic mining, and further development of secondary markets. RAW4RES will enable partners and stakeholders to:

1. Assess and forecast raw materials vulnerabilities in participating regions’ value chains, and develop mitigation measures.
2. Streamline and promote sustainable and environmentally responsible mining policies, principles, and practices.
3. Strengthen processes of open discussion, consensus-building, and conflict resolution between local communities, civil society, businesses, and stakeholders.
4. Promote circular relationships in industrial value chains, to maximise resource efficiency, minimise   waste, and tap into regions’ unvalorised recycling potential.

Find out about the project

Watch the short one-minute video below to find out more about the project: