Sweden's Sámi pay the price in Europe's quest for raw materials
Copper, lithium, cobalt and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are among the 34 metals and minerals classified as critical by the European Union. The EU's aim for carbon neutrality by 2050, along with modern weaponry and the increasing digitalisation of daily life, hinges on technologies that require more metals than ever before, making these materials prized commodities. But while the EU already consumes approximately a quarter of the world’s raw materials, it produces only about 3% of them.
