Currently, the coronavirus crisis is leading many parts of the world to look critically at how they organize their supply chains, especially where public safety or strategic sectors are concerned. In September, the European Commission (EC) released its "Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials," the "2020 List of Critical Raw Materials," and a foresight study on critical raw materials for strategic technologies and sectors from the 2030 and 2050 perspectives. The Action Plan looks at the current and future challenges and proposes actions to reduce Europe's dependency on third countries, diversifying supply from both primary and secondary sources, and improving resource efficiency and circularity while promoting responsible sourcing worldwide.
© The Materials Research Society 2020.