EU's New Critical Raw Materials Act Could Be a Recipe for Conflict

Mar 24, 2023 | Larisa Stanciu, Lotte Hoex
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Last week, the European Commission unveiled the Critical Raw Materials Act to reduce its dependence on third countries for key raw materials deemed indispensable for the green and digital transitions.

However, the continent will never be fully autonomous because of its limited reserves. 

Solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries and other energy technologies require minerals including aluminum, cobalt and lithium. To meet the growing demand for clean energy technology, mining for green energy minerals will accelerate exponentially.

This implies multiple hurdles, namely social unrest, and potential conflict risks. As a global peace-building organization (Search for Common Ground) and a research centre (IPIS), we know how important it is to recognize and understand conflict dynamics in communities.