Qu’est-ce qui rend les minéraux et les métaux « critiques » ?

The document outlines a methodology for governments to identify 'critical' or 'strategic' minerals based on technical, economic, and geopolitical risks. It emphasizes that criticality is dynamic and varies depending on whether a country is a producer or a consumer. The guide proposes a four-step process: understanding criticality, conducting a risk inventory and mapping, making strategic decisions, and performing regular reviews. It provides detailed indicators across geological, economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical dimensions to help countries maximize the benefits of the energy and digital transitions.

• The demand for minerals and metals is increasing exponentially due to the energy transition, the shift away from fossil fuels, and the digitalization of society, while supply is unlikely to keep pace in the short to medium term.
• There is no universal definition of 'critical' or 'strategic' minerals; advanced economies typically use 'critical' to describe materials essential to strategic industries with high supply disruption risks, while producing countries use 'strategic' to denote minerals crucial to their national economy that provide geopolitical leverage.
• Criticality is not static and possesses a temporal dimension; a mineral's status can change as new production sources emerge, alternatives are found, or technology evolves.
• Over 60% of minerals considered critical by the US, EU, Canada, and Australia are minor metals produced as co-products or by-products of major metals, making their supply inelastic in the short term.
• Producing countries often overlook criticality assessments, but such evaluations are vital for them to anticipate the ripple effects of risk-mitigation strategies implemented by destination countries and to leverage their position as preferred suppliers.
• A 2023 IGF global consultation found that 60% of developing countries have adopted a critical minerals strategy and 80% have a critical minerals list, primarily to increase national value-added (27%), increase tax revenues (26%), and improve strategic positioning in global supply chains (21%).
• The guide recommends a four-step approach for governments: 1) Understanding criticality, 2) Inventory and risk mapping, 3) Strategic decision-making, and 4) Review, with the criticality assessment being updated on average every three years.
• Risk mapping must include social and environmental considerations, as the lack of a 'social license to operate' and environmental externalities like water pollution can stall mining projects.
• There is a policy inconsistency regarding 'conflict minerals' and 'critical minerals'; for example, tin, tantalum, and tungsten (3T) are often both, but criticality assessments may not always account for the risks of fueling conflict in fragile jurisdictions.
• Regional cooperation, such as the 2022 agreement between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to create a special economic zone for electric battery manufacturing, is highlighted as a way to achieve economies of scale and avoid a 'race to the bottom' in tax regimes.

APA

Ramdoo, I., Bellois, G., & Hendriwardani, M. (2024). Qu’est-ce qui rend les minéraux et les métaux « critiques » ? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/igf-what-makes-minerals-metals-critical-fr.pdf

Chicago

Ramdoo, Isabelle, Grégoire Bellois, and Murtiani Hendriwardani. Qu’est-ce qui rend les minéraux et les métaux « critiques » ? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/igf-what-makes-minerals-metals-critical-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ramdoo |first1=Isabelle |last2=Bellois |first2=Grégoire |last3=Hendriwardani |first3=Murtiani |title=Qu’est-ce qui rend les minéraux et les métaux « critiques » ? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/igf-what-makes-minerals-metals-critical-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ramdoo2024questce, author = {Ramdoo, Isabelle and Bellois, Grégoire and Hendriwardani, Murtiani}, title = {{Qu’est-ce qui rend les minéraux et les métaux « critiques » ?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/igf-what-makes-minerals-metals-critical-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }