Advancing responsible sourcing
in mineral value chains
The roadmaps that the RE-SOURCING project has developed over the past three years to promote responsible sourcing practices along global value chains in the mobility, renewable energy and electronics sectors are now available in a short video format focusing on current challenges in responsible sourcing. Project coordinator André Martinuzzi draws on the results of the project’s work in each sector and talks to experts about the feasibility of the energy transition in Europe, the future of electromobility or meeting the demand for microchips for the green and digital transition.
Watch the videos below.
Electronics are increasingly intertwined with a wide range of technologies and industries and play a critical role in addressing the major challenges of this century, such as digitalization and the transition to green energy.
As a result, the demand for electronics is expected to grow dramatically, leading to competition among countries to secure raw materials and boost domestic microchip production. However, the extraction of the raw materials needed to make microchips has negative social and environmental impacts, and the increasing production of electronics is contributing to the rapid expansion of the world’s fastest growing domestic waste stream, as electronics can rarely be repaired, recycled or reused.
Given this complex scenario, how can the EU effectively meet its demand for microchips and the essential resources needed to drive the digital and green energy transition, all the while ensuring less waste and more responsible practices? We set out to answer this question based on 3 years of research and collaboration with electronics stakeholders in the RE-SOURCING project and interesting insights from the business perspective of electronics expert Sabine Herlitschka, one of the world’s most renowned tech experts and currently CEO of Infineon Austria, one of the world’s top 10 semiconductor manufacturers. We present a comprehensive answer to this question in a video that outlines the roadmap to a sustainable and independent electronics sector.
The predominant mode of private transport in the EU is the internal combustion engine car, which is mainly fuelled by petrol or diesel. These cars emit large amounts of greenhouse gases as they travel, making them a major contributor to climate change. In 2019, around 480 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted by combustion cars in the EU alone. Today, one of the most talked about alternatives to internal combustion engines is battery electric cars, which have the key advantage over internal combustion engines that they produce no emissions while driving.
But are they also a green and sustainable alternative to internal combustion cars in other ways, and can they be successfully adopted on a large scale? Our e-mobility experts from the RE-SOURCING team explore this question in a comprehensive roadmap video that outlines current battery sourcing and production practices and explores the opportunities for fully electrifying the EU mobility sector in a responsible way.
The EU currently imports up to $300 million of oil, gas and coal per year to secure its energy supply. While importing these vast quantities of resources is proving to be insecure, especially in light of the current gas crisis, burning these fossil fuels is also proving to be unsustainable, accounting for 75% of greenhouse gases in the energy sector.
To reduce the impact on the climate, cut import costs and increase Europe’s autonomy, the EU wants to increase the share of renewable energy, such as solar panels and wind turbines, from currently 13% to at least 42.5% by 2030. But how can this be achieved, especially from a sustainability perspective?
The RE-SOURCING project provides a comprehensive answer to this question through a video that outlines the roadmap to a sustainable renewable energy sector. The video features interviews with experts in responsible sourcing and provides recommendations for policymakers, businesses, and civil society stakeholders on how to achieve this transition sustainably.
