Resources

Almost two-thirds of the heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium on the global market come from Myanmar. How should Germany and Europe deal with the mining of urgently needed rare earths in the civil war-torn country of Myanmar?

While Brussels may see the Jadar lithium mining project as a strategic step toward a greener future, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić sees it as a tactical tool to reinforce his grip on power - just as hundreds of thousands rise to reclaim democracy.

A new study examines how the transition to a circular economy can be made fair globally. Against this background, we evaluate the Clean Industrial Deal presented by the EU Commission in February 2025.

The pursuit of food sovereignty in Palestine is a profound act of agency and a demand for food justice. It is rooted in agroecology and the control of local natural resources to achieve self-sufficiency.

Funding climate protection through carbon certificates for soil may seem beneficial at first. However, a greater focus on soil health and supporting farmers in adopting sustainable practices would be far more effective in practice.

The lithium deal brings a new quality to Serbia’s foreign policy zigzagging. At one stroke, Serbia became a strategic partner and the guarantor for the future of the European Green Deal.

Serbia's lithium mining project in Jadar has been on hold because of mass protests against feared environmental damage. Now the EU wants to secure this lithium access for Europe - despite the political and legal conditions in Serbia.

The EU's Critical Raw Materials Act is peppered with commitments to “value-addition” in the countries where critical minerals will be mined and processed. But there is reason to believe that this means little.

Corrupt politicians have been systematically plundering public budgets and natural resources in the Western Balkans for years. Increasingly, international actors are also discovering an El Dorado for dubious investments in these countries.

Part one of our series analyses the status of BECCS in South America and Africa and shows that BECCS is far from being the silver bullet to climate change that some actors portray it to be.

An examination of Ecuador's groundbreaking constitution, which centers nature, and the reasons it has the potential to inspire the world.

The mobility transition offers the opportunity for a new regenerative economic model that does not repeat the mistakes of fossil fuel era. To rely solely on electric cars now would be heading in the wrong direction. A central component of a just mobility transition would be to end dependence on private cars, expand public transportation and promote healthy and active mobility options such as cycling and walking in cities as well.

Even if all raw materials could be recycled, this alone would not be enough to meet the rapidly growing demand. It is crucial that all options for waste prevention and reuse be exhausted and products and infrastructure used for as long as possible. In addition, these must be designed to be durable and easy to repair.

The circular economy is an approach for a sustainable economy and a good way of life, as well as an actionable response to the triple planetary crisis – global warming, loss of biodiversity and pollution – and not least a solution to an increasingly uncertain supply of raw materials. How could it be implemented on a global scale?

It is long overdue that countries that extract or import raw materials establish clear standards and responsibilities for dealing with the consequences of mining. From the perspective of sustainability, most of the damage caused should no longer be tolerated at all.

Their collective rights are recognized and enshrined in international agreements and national laws – yet indigenous communities still suffer immensely from the consequences of invasive mining projects.

The new German raw materials policy is tasked with increasing recycling and creating lasting supply security by diversifying supply routes as well as production and processing capacities. And it must ensure that resource-rich countries can benefit from their wealth.

Erika Mendes and her organization Justiça Ambiental in Mozambique fight to ensure that companies can be held liable for violations – whether or not they have conducted due diligence.

A new supply chain act is currently being discussed at EU level, giving rise to an important question: Is it enough for companies to be certified through private auditors to show that they are adequately preventing violations of human rights in their supply chains? A conversation with Matthias Baier, the head of the German Competent Authority - EU Due Diligence Obligations in Mineral Supply Chains (DEKSOR), who has already gained initial experience with such audits.

The German supply chain act is a step forward, and the ongoing negotiations on a European equivalent also offer some hope for greater protection of human rights, the climate and the environment. These laws alone will not suffice make the extractive sector truly fairer and more sustainable, however.