The World Resources Forum (WRF) has said that major climate change discussions tend to overlook the “crucial role” of natural resource use.
The statement, shared with the publication Circular, comes ahead of The UN Intergovernmental Meeting on Minerals and Metals which is set to take place between the 7th and 8th September.
The two-day global conference will see leaders gather in Geneva to discuss how the public and private sector can better work together to enhance the sustainability of mineral resources and implement the UNEA-4/19 resolution on mineral resource governance.
In a LinkedIn post about a debate ahead of the conference the organisation said, “The sustainable sourcing of critical raw materials will be one of the key topics for discussion at our upcoming World Resources Forum 2023 Conference”.
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It continued: “The Critical Raw Materials Act, recently published by the European Commission, aims to address some of the challenges that the EU faces in advancing the #energy transition and achieving #climate neutrality by 2050”.
The act, which was announced in March, aims to address supply chain issues around mineral resources and to ensure sustainability in the European sector. Minerals like lithium are used widely in industries including the electric car industry.
WRF managing director Mathias Schluep told Circular: “Minerals and metals are the backbone of major industries, including energy, construction, mobility, and electronics”.
“If international governments and industry leaders do not source and use these resources with long-term sustainability in mind, no transition will be green. This issue looms over the climate debate and deserves far greater attention.”
It comes amid much debate about new deep sea mining technology and its impact, with some activists calling for a halt to it.
