“ The rare-earth shortage may not be uppermost in people ’ s minds now , but it must be resolved ”
TOM BUTLER SENIOR ADVISER ,
BCG
Butler , meanwhile , is an advocate of global collaboration . “ Although governments were initially slow to take action on this , it is encouraging to see there is now broad acknowledgement of the challenge . Over the last few years many countries have articulated critical minerals strategies . Some countries , like the USA , are directly supporting the private sector in this area with equity investments . And as the article highlights , the French have established an “ observatory ” to develop technical and economic solutions in the critical minerals sector . I do think there is a pressing need for still greater collaboration and also a global knowledge centre and ‘ warehouse ’ for information exchange . We have an International Energy Agency but this does not yet exist for mining .”
The Human and Environmental Costs While the focus is often on the economic and geopolitical aspects , it ’ s crucial to also consider the human and environmental costs of rare-earth mining . It is essential that any new mining projects adhere to the highest standards of environmental protection and social responsibility .
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