Europe’s resilience on raw materials – how did GeoERA contribute

Europe’s Green Transition is a declared key political goal in the European Union. The technology needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 relies heavily on metals and minerals. Responsible sourcing and short travel distances of the required materials make a positive contribution to an environmental balance. In addition, raw materials make an important contribution to the well-being of a society. Hence, the United Nations sees raw materials as the key component for achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final) of the European Union and the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without additional quantities and new technological applications of raw materials. Yet, many of the minerals and metals are rarely mined or processed in Europe and are therefore considered "Critical". At the same time, the demand for responsible procurement under ethically, socially and ecologically sound conditions is becoming more and more stringent and demands personal responsibility. GeoERA Raw Materials is a first step to take our share of responsibility to ensure responsible sourcing from domestic sources. The four projects EUROLITHOS, FRAME, MINDeSEA, and MINTELL4EU share expertise, information focussing on European on- and off-shore resources. It is among the tasks of the GeoERA raw material projects to know and evaluate in a comparable way the raw materials present in the geology under our feet and to visualize these results in accessible, harmonised databases, maps and publications. Outlining favourable areas for new RM deposits holds great potential for future generations. (Poster)