Briefing: EU-Mercosur vs. the EU Deforestation Regulation
The Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest tropical forest, is vital for Earth’s climate, absorbing carbon and regulating weather. It harbors rich biodiversity and supports millions. Yet, it's under threat—17% has […]
Clean Cars, Dirty Nickel: Mapping the Indonesia–China–Germany nickel supply chain for EV batteries
Nickel plays a critical role in the green transition as it is one of essential feedstocks for lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). As Indonesia mines more than half […]
Reducing metal consumption: Practical suggestions for the raw materials transition
In 2022, Germany imported almost 80 million tonnes of metals - around 90 per cent of which were primary raw materials. One problem with this is that Germany's consumption of [...]
CETA Climate Impact Analysis
Download the full Report (PDF, English)Download Executive Summary (PDF)Download Executive Summary (PDF)Télécharger le résumé exécutif (PDF) Executive Summary CETA is a Trojan horse. At first sight, it decreases tariffs and fosters [...]
A Partnership of Equals? – How to strengthen the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Strategic Partnerships
Critical Raw Materials are an indispensable part of the EU plans to achieve its core agenda: The Green Transition. Currently, the EU imports a significant proportion of these minerals, often in [...]
Transformation by design, not by disaster!
We need a transformation of our resource consumption. For decades, we have been living beyond our means and consuming many times the metallic, fossil, mineral and renewable resources that [...]
Consequences of the EU withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty
The EU Commission recommends that the EU withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). This raises the question: What will actually happen to the EU member states that remain in [...]
Position paper: The Critical Raw Material Act’s needs for a Social and Just Green Transition
In September 2022, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced "a European law on critical raw materials" in her State of the EU address the Critical Raw Materials Act [...]
Legal opinion on EU-Mercosur trade deal
The European Commission has given indications that it is exploring options regarding the ‘legal basis’ of the EU-Mercosur association agreement. Likely on the table is a procedural trick to bypass [...]
Connecting the Raw Materials Transition and the Energy Transition
This study highlights the urgent need for a more sustainable and equitable approach to the global energy transition. It emphasizes the importance of using metals more modestly and creating a [...]
Metals for the energy transition
The paper investigates the role of metals in the energy transition, the impact of various sectors on metal demand, and the need for sector-specific reduction targets to ensure [...]
Hot Metals for a Cooler Climate?
So far, technological solutions have been the primary means of stopping climate crisis. The aim for many is to continue the current way of working and living with as few [...]
The reform of the Energy Charter Treaty fails to meet the EU’s objectives
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is a trade and investment agreement between countries in Europe and Asia that protects investments in the energy sector. According to the ECT, companies that produce fossil fuels can [...]
Politically controversial, but weak in content: The China-EU Investment Agreement
The investment agreement between China and the EU is highly controversial – and its future uncertain. It is unclear whether and when it will be ratified by the European Parliament. [...]
40 human rights and environmental NGOs warn against unnecessary and harmful delays to new sustainable battery rules
40 human rights and environmental NGOs are concerned to see a recent Council text proposing delays of up to four years for the introduction of rules aiming at reducing batteries’ [...]
12 Arguments for a Raw Material Transition
This booklet demonstrates the various issues connected to human rights, development and the environment caused by the extraction, the processing and the consumption of raw materials. Those problems cannot be [...]
Busting myths around the Energy Charter Treaty
A guide for concerned citizens, activists, journalists and policy makers The Energy Charter Treaty, an investment agreement for the energy sector, has recently been in the spotlight. No other treaty [...]
Alternatives for the ‘Energy and Raw Materials Chapters’ in EU trade agreements
How trade agreements could strengthen human rights and environmental protection in the raw materials sector The European Union is one of the largest importers of raw materials, with its companies [...]
Anchoring climate and environmental protection in EU trade agreements
How trade agreements could contribute to a more sustainable world economy In this report, Ciaran Cross takes on the task of thinking through what it would mean to integrate effective [...]
Supply chain due diligence: China’s role in the international debate and setting of standards
The Debate on Mandatory Human Rights Supply Chain Due Diligence is Gaining Momentum. Legal regulations are discussed extensively both at the international level as well as in Germany. In this [...]
International regulatory cooperation and the public good
How “good regulatory practices” in trade agreements erode protections for the environment, public health, workers and consumers The EU's Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA) is the first EU agreement to [...]
The Dark Side of Digitalization:
Will Industry 4.0 Create New Raw Materials Demands? The digitalization of production processes, in Germany also known as Industry 4.0, promises economic growth in times of stagnation. According to business [...]
Ruthless exploitation in the raw materials sector
How corporations are using the investment court system to enforce their interests On 14 October 2016, the Australian–Canadian mining business OceanaGold lost a USD 250 million lawsuit for compensation against [...]
The Unhealthy Side Effects of CETA
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada is the first trade agreement between the EU and a major world economy and the most far-reaching [...]
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