The transition to a climate-neutral economy requires large amounts of critical raw materials (CRMs). At the same time, mining projects increasingly face questions about environmental impacts, local acceptance, benefit sharing, and governance. How can Europe reconcile the need for secure and sustainable raw material supply chains with legitimate societal concerns?
These questions were at the centre of the event "To Mine or Not To Mine Critical Minerals in Europe? From Societal Concerns to Shared Solutions?", held on 3 June 2026 in Helsinki, Finland. The event brought together researchers, industry representatives, policymakers, NGOs, trade unions, indigenous representatives and civil society organisations to discuss the future of critical raw materials in Europe and beyond.
As a co-organiser, SIM² KU Leuven contributed to creating a platform for open dialogue on one of the most important challenges of the green and digital transitions.
The discussions highlighted that the debate around critical raw materials is becoming increasingly complex. On the one hand, Europe seeks to reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen domestic value chains for technologies such as batteries, renewable energy systems, and advanced manufacturing. On the other hand, new mining projects often face concerns related to environmental protection, community impacts, and social legitimacy.
Participants explored the issue from global, European and Nordic perspectives. Rather than focusing on whether Europe should mine critical raw materials, discussions increasingly centred on under which conditions mining can take place, how benefits can be shared, and how stakeholders can be meaningfully involved in decision-making processes.
The event featured perspectives from different regions of the world, including experiences from Chile, Canada, Zambia, Kazakhstan and Northern Europe. Several speakers highlighted the importance of moving beyond a purely European perspective and learning from international best practices. Discussions addressed the rapidly evolving geopolitics of critical raw materials, the growing competition for resources driven by the energy transition, digital technologies and defence applications, and the need for stronger international partnerships.
Examples such as the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) demonstrated how independent standards, transparency and stakeholder engagement can contribute to building trust and improving accountability within the mining sector.
Throughout the day, participants addressed a range of topics relevant to Europe's raw materials strategy, including:
- The balance between climate ambitions, industrial competitiveness and societal expectations;
- The concept of a "green resource curse" and how it can be avoided;
- The role of workers and trade unions in discussions on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance;
- Community-centric approaches to mining and benefit-sharing mechanisms;
- Circular economy solutions, recycling and demand-side measures as part of a broader raw materials strategy;
- The implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and recent observations by the European Court of Auditors.
One message resonated across all discussions: technological innovation alone will not be sufficient to deliver Europe's green transition. Trust, transparency and meaningful stakeholder engagement are equally important.
The event demonstrated the value of bringing together diverse perspectives in a respectful and constructive environment. While participants did not agree on every issue, there was broad recognition that achieving a sustainable and resilient raw materials system will require collaboration across sectors, disciplines and regions.
For SIM² KU Leuven, these discussions align closely with its mission to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable materials-based economy through interdisciplinary research, innovation and stakeholder engagement.
As Europe moves forward with its climate and industrial ambitions, creating space for informed dialogue will remain essential for developing solutions that are not only technically feasible and economically viable, but also socially legitimate.
