Industry calls on government to develop raw materials strategy for “future technologies”

The influential Federation of German Industries (BDI) has called on the government to come up with a strategy to secure the supply of scarce raw materials for “future technologies” needed for e-mobility, digitalisation, and the energy transition. “The growing demand for raw materials for future technologies warrants a paradigm change in resource policy,” BDI president Dieter Kempf said. He explained that a drop in prices following the international financial crisis had made such a strategy unnecessary, but the recent surge in demand now calls for a fresh approach. Kempf said Germany is “completely dependent on imports” of different types of raw materials, such as cobalt and rare earths. He added that while Germany has high ethical standards for procuring resources, the rise in demand means that supplier countries can chose who to trade with, and not the other way around.

Find the press release in German here.

See the CLEW factsheet Germany’s dependence on imported fossil fuels for more information.