Environmental information in the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS): Background and thematic information on environmental considerations related to the production of non-food, non-energy raw materials

Abstract

The 2008 Raw Materials Initiative (RMI) aimed to promote, among other aspects, the sustainable supply of raw materials from both EU sources and outside the EU. Moreover, the new Green Deal and the Circular Economy action plans put sustainability and circularity at the core of economic growth in the EU, and very much link to the future of the EU’s raw materials sector. For the implementation of the these policies, information and data are needed covering a variety of environmental aspects. Indeed, environmental considerations in relation to raw materials supply are manifold. Firstly, raw materials pose pressures on the environment through the use of natural resources (land, water, fuel, etc.) and through the emission of polluting substances over the whole life cycle, from extraction, to transport, processing, manufacturing of final products and until their end of life. At the same time, raw materials are essential for industrial processes that allow societyies to develop, as defined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Certain raw materials are also essential for the deployment of green and low-carbon technologies. In addition, varied environmental conditions and heterogeneous environmental regulatory frameworks at different locations, can determine the suitability of raw materials production itself. The Raw Materials Information System (RMIS) is the EC’s reference web-based knowledge platform on non-energy, non-agriculture raw materials. It acts as the core access point to such knowledge and as interface for policy support. As it is stated in the RMIS roadmap, the RMIS aims to provide information on the emission of greenhouse gases and pollutants to the environment, the use of resources such as land or water, and the framework environmental conditions (e.g. water scarcity, nature protection areas) in which extractive and processing facilities operate. This should cover, whenever information and data availability allow for that, all relevant raw materials sectors, covering primary and secondary production and all relevant supply chain stages. The main environmental impacts of the sector, and best practices are to be also highlighted in the RMIS. This report describes the environmental information and data included to date in the RMIS. In particular, the report mirrors the full content of the dedicated section on the environmental dimension, and describes also the environmental content available in other related sections. The dedicated section on the environmental dimension first sets the framework of the environmental considerations to be taken into account, based on the mapping and analysis of relevant literature. Then, information related to specific aspects/impacts/media is presented. The latter covers so far industrial emissions, climate change and decarbonisation, water, air pollution and land use and soil. Other sections providing environmental information and data are the raw materials´ profiles, EU country profiles and the section on monitoring schemes.