PowerShift criticism of BDI claims under the 8th Raw materials congress
Berlin, 11.11.: The Federation of German Industries (BDI) is holding its 8th annual meeting on Monday, 11 November. Commodities Congress under the title ‘Treat more commodity sovereignty’. To achieve this, the association is calling for, among other things, ten new mines in Europe. Michael Reckordt, raw material expert at PowerShift, criticizes the current demand of the BDI for the expansion of raw material production in Europe as follows:
"By calling for ten new mines in Europe, the BDI is ignoring the serious social and environmental risks of such projects, as well as the massive protests they would face. But even if these projects were to be implemented, they would at most be a drop in the bucket of the EU's still far too high consumption of raw materials, which must finally be addressed effectively.
In its Global Resources Outlook 2024, the United Nations Environment Programme calls for a 20 percent reduction in raw material consumption in the Global North by 2060. Meanwhile, however, the BDI dreams of a return to the past and ignores the fact that Germany is entering a hopeless race in view of the own industrialization strategies of China, the USA and many emerging countries, which will inevitably lead to a catastrophe for the environment, people and the economy. This is a situation that continues to escalate with Trump's election.
Instead, we now need bold steps towards a more sustainable economic model: a significant reduction in the use of resources, especially in the mobility sector, a rapid expansion of the circular economy and clear targets for environmentally friendly product design and repair services. This is the only way to achieve a responsible and sustainable raw materials policy.”
The demands of the BDI fall just over four weeks after the 2nd Civil Society Raw Materials Summit, which focused on the urgently needed reduction of resource consumption and outlined steps towards a just and sustainable raw materials transition. More information can be found here.
More information on how Germany can reduce its metal consumption can be found in our brochure: “Reducing metal consumption: Practical proposals for shaping the raw materials transition”
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:
- Michael Reckordt, Resource Policy Officer at PowerShift, michael.reckordt@power-shift.de, +49 (0)163 6336372
