In Germany, Europe, worldwide: Producing and processing primary raw materials

The German economy and German society depend on primary raw materials. Gravel, sand, natural stone and other building materials go into the construction of our buildings. Industry, production processes, infrastructure and electromobility all create enormous demand for resources such as iron ore and cobalt. At present, though, we cannot pretend that the extraction and use of these resources is sustainable. What is needed is a raw material transition which, like the energy transition, puts the supply of raw materials on a sustainable footing.

Germany has virtually no metal resources of its own, and in Europe as a whole very few deposits are currently being mined. Even within Europe, the extraction of natural resources often causes severe human and environmental damage, but in developing and newly industrialising countries the social and ecological impacts are far greater. Health and safety standards are sometimes rudimentary or non-existent; toxic substances may leach unfiltered into soils and drinking water.

The European countries must therefore fulfil their due diligence obligations and promote the sustainable sourcing of raw materials. The environmental impacts of resource extraction and efforts to improve the social and socioeconomic situation of people in mining communities are increasingly becoming a focus of attention in the German, European and international debate on primary commodities. Resource policy and resource conservation must go hand in hand.

Careful husbanding of natural resources requires a variety of approaches: because different raw materials involve different sets of problems, objectives must be resource-specific (read more here). However, it is not sufficient to concentrate solely on resource extraction. Recycling is an essential aspect of a sustainable resource policy. And within the circular economy it is important to pay attention both to resource-related practices in the national and international context (read more here) and to the aspects specific to certain types of materials (read more here).