New report: The politics of critical raw materials

Gunilla Reischl is work package leader for the work package focusing on The Geopolitics of Critical Raw Materials. She is also Senior Research Fellow of the Global Politics and Security Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, a partner in the Mistra Mineral Governance programme.

She has authored a report, together with Helene Bäärnhielm Pousette, entitled: The politics of critical raw materials.

Summary

Critical raw materials (CRMs) are increasingly central to national and global policy due to their essential role in the clean energy transition, digital infrastructure, and defence. However, CRM supply is often concentrated in geopolitically sensitive regions, exposing nations to strategic vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, efforts to secure CRMs involve difficult dilemmas and tensions between several competing priorities. This has prompted a surge in national strategies and international initiatives on CRMs, though governance in this area remains fragmented and largely voluntary. This report summarises the main insights from the roundtable ‘The politics of critical raw materials’ held on May 12, 2025, at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI).

The roundtable convened experts from academia, government, industry, and civil society to explore CRM politics through three themes: interdependencies, governance, and human rights and environmental protection.

Download and read the report: The politics of critical raw materials at ui.se

The front cover of the report published by the Swedish Institute of International Affairs in collaboration with the Mistra Mineral Governance programme..