Better In Our Back Yard’s Post

Chinese regulations will soon come into effect that stipulate it will pay equal attention to protection of rare earth resources. Rare earths and geopolitics have become increasingly intertwined, and diverse supply chains are likewise progressively important for critical mineral industries. #RareEarthIndustry #SupplyChains #CriticalMinerals

🌍 The agreement between the EU and Rwanda raises concerns about mineral trafficking in the DRC. Transparency and traceability are essential for responsible exploitation of natural resources 💎🌿 #DRC #EU #EnvironmentalResponsibility #TraçabilitéDesMinerais

Afghanistan's natural resource reserves have been valued at more than an estimated $1 trillion USD. Transparent and accountable growth of Afghanistan’s extractive industries could contribute to the economic development needed to aid the nearly 70% of Afghans who couldn't meet their basic needs in 2023. But instead, the Taliban have callously profited as gatekeepers to the country’s natural resource wealth since retaking control of the country in 2021. My latest op-ed at RealClearWorld. https://lnkd.in/gRcNC4BF

Excellent explanation of why the EV mandate coupled with the elimination of fossils fuels is a threat to our national security, and emboldens China.

Regardless if we are talking about the conflict minerals or precious stones, our understanding of the supply chain and its implications for livelihoods of local populations, need to improve. The approaches could be similar, and even though I'm unsure how to address the root of the problems, I think as a society, as consumers, and as businesses, we know what will not work. Passing on the responsibility to those in the harshest conditions, with the least resources and smallest benefits from the supply chain, no, that shouldn't be our go-to approach. Very interesting article, I highly recommend reading it.

🗞 In this week's issue of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence's policy newsletter, we examine the policy and geopolitical outlook for deep-sea extraction. ⚓ With the start of the 29th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) this month, negotiations resumed on an international deep-sea extraction code to allow commercial deep-sea extraction in international waters. The ISA reportedly aims to adopt a final code by 2025. ⛏️ A growing number of companies, including The Metals Company, Global Sea Mineral Resources and Loke Marine Minerals, and countries are looking to extract (or hoover) deep-sea minerals in national (Cook Islands, Norway, Japan) and international waters, especially in the nodule-rich Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean. 🐙 At the same time, a growing number of ISA member states and companies have reportedly called for a “precautionary pause” or “moratorium” on moving to the extraction of deep-sea minerals, given the lack of clarity around the overall environmental impact of deep-sea extraction in terms of biodiversity, marine environment, noise and light pollution, etc. 🌏 US-China geopolitical competition is also mounting in this strategic area. Holding the most exploration contracts, China has positioned itself as central to the deep-sea industry and the rule-making process. In contrast, the US has largely excluded itself from the regulatory debate due to its failure to ratify the U.N. Convention Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, US lawmakers are waking up to the urgency of this issue with the recently tabled ‘Responsible Use of Seafloor Resources Act’. 💡 Benchmark forecasts that from the late 2020s, growing demand from EVs, ESS, and portables will drive demand for critical minerals, like cobalt and nickel, that the current pipeline is unable to meet. This means terrestrial extraction and recycling alone may not be enough to meet the global demand for minerals needed for the energy transition. Read the complete analysis here 👇 https://lnkd.in/epGxhBWE 🤔 Interested in more policy and geopolitical coverage? ➡ Subscribe here to Benchmark's bi-weekly policy and geopolitical newsletter https://lnkd.in/e5Q2Wp6G

In Africa’s Great Lakes region, a significant focus has been on the #illicit trade of high-value artisanal minerals such as gold and 3Ts, as well as their links to conflict financing. The policy frameworks and regulatory tools, such as the ICGLR’s RINR and its six tools, were originally adopted in 2010 to rein in illegal activities within the natural resource sector. However, ASM is an important livelihood for millions in the region and globally. The sector’s importance to economic and social development is still mostly untapped. Through the Peace and Security project, funded by the European Union in Burundi, the ICGLR and Member States will aim to increase their capacity to ensure mineral resource governance promotes sustainable economic development in the region. ⬇️

See my recent opinion piece covering the geopolitical landscape of critical mineral supply chains, written for the Critical Minerals International Alliance (CMIA). In it, I assess the threat that China’s dominance of critical mineral supply chains poses to Western security. I argue that in recent years alongside the trade war, a host of Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) domestic and foreign policies have drawn China into a diplomatic gunfight with the West, which has in turn responded with robust and powerful landmark legislation and economic diplomacy to phase China out of its supply chains for renewable energy by the end of the decade. Furthermore, unforeseen growth asymmetries across all critical mineral supply chains development will continue to disrupt the market (new tech, volatile pricing, resource nationalism etc), likely impacting China's market stronghold significantly. As a strongly bipartisan issue, U.S. supply chain security and diversification policies - IIJA, IRA, CHIPS & Science Act - look set to run for as long as it takes. With the #developmentfinancecooperation and #globalgatewayinitiative, plus Prosper Africa's recently announced Green Guarantee Company (GGC), not to mention the #mineralssecuritypartnership, I argue that although Chinese state owned enterprises (SOEs) experience significant first-mover advantage and manifest dominance of these supply chains, the West has a plan and is going about implementing it. One of the common themes in Investing in African Mining Indaba was how geopolitics have become increasingly fractious and volatile. And some narratives were more persuasive than others! One major mining company CEO even asserted that the great powers were preparing for a third world war and that African minerals will deploy the minerals needed for wartime production lines.. Whilst there is truth in the fact that geopolitics are more fractious than they were, there are good reasons for this (outlined in the piece); and the reality is that - from a Western perspective - now it the time for cool heads and calm nerves. #reshoring #greatpowercompetition #legislation #internationallaw #statusquo #narratives

Protect the strategic sector of industrial metal reserves. This is why #China issued the “Regulation on the Management of Rare Earths” – #NationalSecurity The measure will go into effect on October 1, 2024. Although the shift in control of the global chain from the United States to China was initially enabled by Beijing's looser environmental and regulatory standards, it is not true that China now maintains its advantage because of this. Over the past decade, Beijing has introduced new environmental regulations, enforced existing ones, and innovated some extraction and refining processes, making them cleaner. Chinese dominance in the rare earth #REE industry is a matter of politics, not geography. Read more on #ExtremaRatio https://lnkd.in/dYek-hH8

Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) AG is delighted to attend the 2024 Mine Action Conference jointly hosted by Switzerland and Ukraine in #Lausanne this Thursday and Friday. The Ukraine Mine Action Conference (#UMAC2024) brings together high-level representatives from governments, international organisations, the private sector, civil society and academia to address the broad aspects of humanitarian mine action under the guiding themes of people, partners and progress. Keynote addresses by the President of the Swiss Confederation H.E. Viola Amherd and the Prime Minister of Ukraine H.E. Denys Shmyal, among many other significant and influential leaders from #Switzerland, #Ukraine and the demining community will pave the way for international cooperation and support. Joining the plenary and panel discussions framed by H.E. Yulia Svyrydenko and other senior international ministers will be our Ukraine General Manager Dmytro Salimonov, and from Switzerland, GCS Stategic Business Development Advisor Christian R. Swan, to highlight the critical importance of mine clearance as a central component of social and economic recovery. GCS value this opportunity to demonstrate our partnerships and progress creating safe environments in Ukraine and globally. One of our demining machines – of which almost sixty are operating in Ukraine right now - will be on display outside. #Demining is stage zero for recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine and in every country afflicted by landmine contamination. #mechanicalmineclearance #eod #explosiveordnancedisposal #landmines #EOD #DemineUkraine #ProtectandBuild #wearewherethefuturebegins #PathtoPeace #MineAction #MineConferenceCH #humanitarianmineaction https://lnkd.in/e55zHP2t