Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105519
Riccardo Priore , Marco Compagnoni , Marinella Favot
{"title":"Innovation in rare earths recycling: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of patent data","authors":"Riccardo Priore , Marco Compagnoni , Marinella Favot","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rare earth elements (REE) are currently essential enablers of the digital and decarbonization transition. However, their supply chain is highly concentrated and their extraction has a high environmental impact. Circular economy solutions could provide a double benefit, reducing supply risk for import-dependent countries and mitigating the impacts of REE mining.</div><div>This article focuses on REE recycling and provides a comprehensive global overview of innovation dynamics in this sector using patent data. We propose a two-step patent search methodology to identify REE recycling patents, based on the OECD ENV-TECH classification for green technologies and keyword occurrence. We then develop a set of quantitative and qualitative metrics to explore innovation dynamics at the country, applicant and technology type level.</div><div>China clearly emerges as the most attractive market for REE recycling patents and Chinese universities as the most active applicants worldwide. Conversely, patent applications in all other countries showed stagnating trends over the last decade. In particular, Europe has a lower number of both patent applications and patents developed compared to the US and Japan. However, patent quality indicators show a very different picture: US and Japanese applicants, who appear to be at the technological forefront, receive more citations and are more oriented towards protecting their inventions internationally. Our analysis therefore highlights the importance of considering both quantitative and qualitative patent metrics when examining innovation trends in REE recycling.</div><div>We discuss the determinants of these observed phenomena, draw policy implications - particularly for REE import-dependent countries - and propose avenues for future research at the intersection of CRM, the circular economy, and innovation studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105519"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105514
Konstantin Born
{"title":"Adoption of circular economy practices in the mining sector: Evidence from Chile","authors":"Konstantin Born","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the adoption of Circular Economy (CE) practices in the mining sector. Large-scale mining is essential for global material supply and the energy transition but poses significant environmental challenges. Adopting CE strategies and practices can help mitigate these challenges by reducing waste, improving resource efficiency, and minimising environmental impacts. However, existing CE frameworks are focused on downstream value chain segments and lack crucial conceptual elements to guide CE adoption in upstream industries like mining. The study advances the literature on CE, responsible sourcing of minerals and sustainable raw material extraction by identifying three crucial conceptual elements missing from existing CE frameworks: (1) a clear communication of the <em>goal and boundary</em> of the industrial production system that the adoption of CE practices is targeting; (2) an identification of the <em>source and type of inputs</em> used by the system; and (3) a consideration of the <em>resource state</em> of these inputs and the subsequent structural wastes generated from them. These new conceptual elements allow for a system-level analysis of CE adoption tailored to the context of the mining industry.</div><div>Using the case of Chile, the study demonstrates how this new conceptual approach can be applied to map existing CE practices and strategies used in the mining sector. Findings reveal that Chilean copper and lithium mining companies are successfully adopting CE practices, such as using seawater in ore processing, remining and repurposing tailings, and remanufacturing mining machinery. This shows that there is significant potential for the mining industry to adopt CE thinking. However, the case study also highlights prevalent tendencies of a lack of systems thinking and additionality in the design of CE practices, which present significant challenges for the sector to adopt CE practices at scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105514"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105517
Ehsan Rasoulinezhad
{"title":"Green taxes innovation and energy imports in advancing renewable transitions in developing countries","authors":"Ehsan Rasoulinezhad","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research investigates how green taxes influence the importation of sustainable energy across 20 developing economies from 2005 to 2021, using the advanced CUP-FM technique. The study finds that a negative coefficient (−0.238) linked with green taxes acts as an incentive for adopting sustainable energy, leading to reduced imports of conventional energy components. Conversely, a positive coefficient (0.195) associated with the official exchange rate encourages the importation of green energy. Factors such as innovation, measured through patent applications (0.089), and domestic commitments to renewables, indicated by renewable energy consumption (0.159), significantly drive the importation of green energy. The study also highlights the challenges faced by countries with higher poverty levels, reflected in the negative coefficient for the poverty ratio (−0.120). To effectively promote sustainable energy, a comprehensive strategy is necessary, encompassing efficient implementation of green taxes, promotion of green finance, establishment of regional agreements, and incentivization of private investment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105517"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of economic complexity and metallic mineral resources on renewable energy transition in developing countries","authors":"Marco Túlio Dinali Viglioni , Cristina Lelis Leal Calegario , Nádia Campos Pereira Bruhn","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metallic minerals are essential for the transition to renewable energy that is required to mitigate climate change by reducing carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions. However, many developing countries exhibit relatively low levels of economic complexity, particularly in terms of their technological capabilities, which may pose a significant challenge to renewable energy projects. In this study, we investigate the effects of economic complexity and metallic minerals on renewable energy consumption. We investigate a panel dataset of 77 developing countries from 1995 to 2021 using multiple robust techniques, including feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), canonical co-integrating regression (CCR), two-stage least squares (2SLS-IV) estimators and Dumitrescu–Hurlin causality analysis. The results indicate a negative relationship between mineral resources and renewable energy consumption. The results further suggest that economic complexity negatively affects clean energy production. Despite this, the robustness estimates confirm the positive moderating effect of economic complexity on mineral resources and renewable energy. These results have significant policy implications and underscore the need to explore the true potential of mineral resources in developing economies. This research calls for policymakers to focus on the economic complexity of their economies to escape the resource curse paradox and unlock the full potential of metallic minerals for transitioning to cleaner energy sources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105512"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-19DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105454
Muhammad Haroon , Mirzat Ullah , Zhanqiang Li , Shuo Zhu , Judong Wang , Chu-Pin (Eugune) Hsueh
{"title":"Impact of emerging technologies on corporate social responsibility in mining industry","authors":"Muhammad Haroon , Mirzat Ullah , Zhanqiang Li , Shuo Zhu , Judong Wang , Chu-Pin (Eugune) Hsueh","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105454","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105454","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The mining industry faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental and social impacts, particularly in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The rapid development of emerging technologies has the potential to reshape CSR practices, but little is known about the specific effects on the mining sector. This study investigates how emerging technologies have influenced CSR in 1299 Chinese mining companies from 2010 to 2022. Using fixed-effects regressions, the analysis reveals that the adoption of advanced technologies significantly improves environmental performance by reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption. Additionally, these technologies enhance safety standards, leading to a measurable decrease in workplace accidents. However, the study also finds that while technological integration boosts transparency and stakeholder engagement, its impact on long-term social welfare remains mixed. The findings suggest that policy efforts should focus on incentivizing technological innovation while ensuring that CSR frameworks are robust enough to address both environmental and social concerns in the mining industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105454"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105511
Joseph Keneck-Massil , Suzie Imelda Foudjo
{"title":"Natural resources dependence and climate vulnerability: Do women's political empowerment and political ideology make the difference?","authors":"Joseph Keneck-Massil , Suzie Imelda Foudjo","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article analyses the effect of natural resources on vulnerability to climate change, with an emphasis on the mitigating role of women's political empowerment and political party ideology. Specifically, it explores the extent to which women's political empowerment and political ideology reduce the positive effect of natural resource dependence on the degree of climate vulnerability. We find strong evidence of a positive relationship between natural resource dependence and climate vulnerability. Moreover, we observe that only forestry, coal, oil, and natural gas rents increase vulnerability to climate change, while mining rents help to reduce climate vulnerability. The results also highlight the fact that the political empowerment of women and the ideology of political parties attenuate the effect of natural resources on climate vulnerability. The effect of political ideology is more persistent for left-wing governments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105511"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143427907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105513
Marco A. Cotrina-Teatino, Jairo J. Marquina-Araujo
{"title":"Circular economy in the mining industry: A bibliometric and systematic literature review","authors":"Marco A. Cotrina-Teatino, Jairo J. Marquina-Araujo","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study seeks to provide comprehensive mapping of research on the circular economy within the mining sector from 2000 to 2024, highlighting essential topics, prevailing trends, and prospective future directions. Utilizing a mixed-method approach that combines bibliometric analysis, text mining, and content analysis, the research pursues several objectives: (i) capture the scientific foundation of circular economic research in mining by identifying key themes and trends over the past 24 years, (ii) offer a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on the topic, and (iii) propose future research directions. A total of 136 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus, JSTOR, and Taylor & Francis databases were analyzed, selected through the PRISMA method and ad-hoc sampling. The analysis identified three main research areas: (1) circular economy strategies for tailings and waste management in mining, (2) regulatory challenges and opportunities for circular economy implementation in mining, and (3) value chains within the circular economy in the mining sector. Based on these areas, four key lines of future research were proposed: innovation in tailings and waste management, regulatory and governance challenges, integration of technologies in sustainable value chains, and design of mine closure and rehabilitation strategies under circular economy principles. These recommendations aim to enhance sustainability and optimize resource use in the mining industry, promoting practices that contribute to a more responsible and efficient global development model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105513"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105489
Turker Acikgoz
{"title":"Gold and Bitcoin as hedgers and safe havens: Perspective from nonlinear dynamics","authors":"Turker Acikgoz","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the hedge and safe-haven properties of gold and Bitcoin against several financial asset classes: (i) developed market equities, (ii) emerging market equities, (iii) bonds, (iv) commodities, (v) energy, and (vi) cryptocurrencies. By employing multifractal cross-correlation analysis, the paper investigates whether gold or Bitcoin qualify as hedgers under stable market conditions or as safe havens during extreme market movements. The analysis of individual assets reveals that the variables exhibit multifractality, statistical self-similarity, and market inefficiency. Furthermore, the hedge analysis of bivariate portfolios indicates that neither gold nor Bitcoin can be classified as a hedge or safe haven for financial markets. The only notable risk reduction advantage is observed in the gold-bond pair. This study provides valuable insights into hedge and safe-haven dynamics in financial markets through the lens of nonlinear dynamics, offering significant practical implications for policymakers and investors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105489"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A novel optimization model for the dig-limit definition problem in open pit mines with multiple destinations","authors":"Gonzalo Nelis , Nelson Morales , Rodrigo Estay , Fabián Manríquez , Patricio Vivar , Constanza Morales","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dig-limit optimization is a crucial step in the grade-control process for open-pit mines. During short-term planning, blasthole data is used to generate an updated block model, typically, with a finer spatial resolution than the loading equipment's selectivity. Consequently, short-term planners must define operational dig-limits, determining the destination of each Selective Mining Unit (SMU) while accounting for the shovel bucket's size. This task is labor-intensive, highly time-consuming, and prone to SMU misclassification, potentially reducing profit and target fulfillment in the operation. To address these challenges, we propose a novel optimization model for defining optimal dig-limits for open pit mining. The model extends the state-of-the-art by including a wide range of destinations with capacity and blending constraints, and differential selectivity by equipment. Three case studies demonstrate the application of the model in short- and medium-term planning setups. Results indicate an average profit improvement of 7.3% compared to manually drawn dig-limits. Additionally, capacity and blending constraints significantly influence the optimal SMU assignment in scenarios with multiple destinations. The proposed model is computationally more efficient than existing exact methods, solving larger benches and complex setups to optimality using an off-the-shelf solver. This enhanced efficiency and versatility make the model a valuable tool for improving grade-control workflows in open-pit mining operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105510"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143394514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-02-08DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105506
Taşkın Deniz Yıldız
{"title":"Sustainable contributions of the use of phosphorus, potassium, coal and natural stone mine wastes in soil improvement and agriculture – A review","authors":"Taşkın Deniz Yıldız","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The need for sustainable utilization of mine wastes is increasing day by day. One of the uses that can meet this need is the use of mine wastes in agriculture and soil improvement. There is a lack of information in the literature about which mine wastes can be utilized for this purpose and what kind of sustainability contributions each of these wastes makes. In the literature, it is noteworthy that studies on the use of phosphate, potassium, coal and natural stone mine wastes as fertilizers in agriculture or in soil improvement have been carried out more intensively compared to other mine wastes, and the high capacity of these mine wastes to nourish the soil. Accordingly, in this study, the literature on the use of selected mining wastes in soil remediation and agriculture was reviewed. Firstly, the contributions to sustainability criteria of these mine wastes in agriculture and soil remediation were determined. Studies in the literature were reviewed, and the sustainability criteria to which these mine wastes contribute were also determined. Additionally, as a result of the studies conducted, it was also revealed which mine wastes contribute to each sustainability criterion. In this study, it was determined that the sustainable contributions of the selected mine wastes in agriculture & soil improvement were at a high level. According to the literature, applicable results can be obtained when these mine wastes are mixed with other wastes such as domestic or industrial wastes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 105506"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}