Resources PolicyPub Date : 2025-05-28DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105554
Laurence Klein , María Jesús Muñoz-Torres , María Ángeles Fernández Izquierdo
{"title":"Free, Prior, and Informed Consent and Human rights impact assessments: Lessons from Repsol's operations in Wayuu territories in La Guajira, Colombia","authors":"Laurence Klein , María Jesús Muñoz-Torres , María Ángeles Fernández Izquierdo","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105554","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105554","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the clear international consensus on the need for good faith consultations with Indigenous Peoples prior to the exploitation of natural resources on their lands and territories, most companies still struggle to respect their right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as an expression of their right to self-determination. This translates into companies investing in obtaining community consent, whereby the financial implications of going ahead with a project without FPIC usually overshadow the ethical reasons sustaining this core human right. Amidst the global demand for heightened human rights due diligence (HRDD), collaborative and Indigenous-led Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIA) emerge as a crucial tool to further the implementation of FPIC and HRDD at the corporate level. Given that there is still little literature on such HRIA, our systematisation of Repsol's experience on Wayuu territories in Colombia is a timely contribution to filling some of the practical gaps. Even though Repsol undoubtfully had financial reasons for not going ahead with its project in La Guajira, the case study also demonstrates that the company heavily invests in respecting Indigenous rights, an example to be followed by other companies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105554"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147119","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":"Appropriate technologies or appropriating technologies? Technopolitics within artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana","authors":"Alesia Dedaa Ofori , Augustine Chiga Awolorinke , Gad Amoako Amankwaah","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article contributes to the discourse on the significance of “appropriate” technologies in formalising artisanal and small-scale gold miners' activities. By raising the question of what or who defines what is “appropriate” for artisanal miners, the paper engages critically with the ignored and complicated spatial and temporal dynamics that underpin miners’ decisions regarding technologies and the impact of these choices on the political ecology of artisanal gold mining. Until recently, technologies used by small and artisanal miners have been known to be crude and rudimentary, with deleterious impacts on the natural environment. Hence, the policy drive to formalise illegal miners has emphasised the essence of appropriate technologies, depoliticizing the complex underpinning factors that shape technology adoption and rejection. Thus, the paper focuses on two technologies that have become prevalent in the artisanal mining scene in Ghana, i.e. the Chinese Changfa and the Trommel, to demonstrate the complex and myriad ways miners determine which technology is appropriate. Appropriate technologies, the paper argues, are determined based on a multifaceted combination of socio-political, economic, ecological, biophysical and cultural factors. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these observations on the formalisation of artisanal miners amid the increasing demand for energy transition minerals in developing economies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105641"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137748","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 : 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105613
Malte Ladewig , Aida Cuni-Sanchez , Arild Angelsen , Gerard Imani , Ghislain K.R. Baderha , Franklin Bulonvu , John Kalume
{"title":"Between a rock and a hard place: Livelihood diversification through artisanal mining in the Eastern DR Congo","authors":"Malte Ladewig , Aida Cuni-Sanchez , Arild Angelsen , Gerard Imani , Ghislain K.R. Baderha , Franklin Bulonvu , John Kalume","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Living conditions of the rural population in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have suffered from prolonged violent conflicts, poor governance, declining soil fertility, and lack of infrastructure to support economic development. In parallel, artisanal mining has become a widespread livelihood activity in the area. This study investigates how rural households integrate artisanal mining into their traditional farming livelihoods. It uses empirical data collected in household surveys conducted around Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve in the South Kivu province in a hurdle regression model to show that mining is used as both complementary and substitutory to farming. Results indicate that households that use mining to complement their farming activities tend to experience higher food security compared to non-mining households. As the reliance on mining increases, households tend to cultivate less land. These findings can help to inform actions against the prevalent issue of food insecurity in the region, but also point to dilemmas and trade-offs among environmental and development goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105613"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115902","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 : 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105631
Youngho Kang , Yurim Lee , Hayoung Oh
{"title":"Navigating geopolitical risks: The impact of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute on global rare earth markets and diversification strategies","authors":"Youngho Kang , Yurim Lee , Hayoung Oh","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In 2010, Japan and China experienced a geopolitical conflict known as the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands Dispute. At the time, Japan had relied primarily on China for its imports of rare earth metals, raising speculations that China would impose a targeted retaliation against Japan and cause a significant increase in rare earth metal prices for Japan. Contrary to this forecast, this research shows that the dispute did not lead to a targeted impact on Japan; rather, China's decisions during the time of the dispute ultimately led to a global spike in the price of rare earth metals. Additionally, our empirical analysis suggests that international cooperation, particularly the WTO verdict in 2014, played a critical role in stabilizing prices and mitigating the initial price shocks caused by the dispute. Since then, Japan and other importers of rare earth metals have begun shifting their strategies of procuring rare earth metals by lowering their reliance on China. However, their strategies have not ultimately led to a successful diversification as importers still rely heavily on a select few source countries of rare earth metals, mainly China and Vietnam. Further, China retains its dominance as the primary processor of rare earth metals, leveraging protectionist-like policies to control global supply. As such, skewed market power over a single or limited suppliers of rare earth metal still poses substantial trade risks to importers. This paper presents strategies for importing nations of rare metal earth metals to better mitigate such risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105631"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105633","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 : 2025-05-20DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105625
Keita F. DeCarlo
{"title":"Framework for assessing intranational risk of critical mineral sectors: Case study of India","authors":"Keita F. DeCarlo","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent geopolitical actions regarding the supply of critical minerals have highlighted both the threats posed by countries dominating a critical mineral supply chain, and the potential mitigations served by alternative supplier countries. However, no systematic quantification exists for the intranational factors that determine such threats or mitigations. This study outlines a methodological framework for quantifying the intranational risk profile of critical mineral sectors and compares them with the sector's international potential for leverage. The four intranational factors of concentration, synchronization, private sector involvement, and regulatory obstacles were analyzed across multiple scales in order to determine an intranational risk score that quantifies the resilience or fragility of the critical mineral sector in question. Network analysis was also separately conducted to identify the most important entities operating across all critical mineral sectors. Finally, this study assessed the critical mineral sector's global share of reserves and production to determine an international risk score that quantifies the country's critical mineral sector's leverage potential. A case study of India showed that two critical mineral sectors with high leverage potential, chromite and barite, were respectively intranationally resilient and fragile. Of the remaining sectors with minimal leverage, five sectors such as aluminum were intranationally resilient and may serve as viable mitigation options for future critical mineral supply. Three sectors such as titanium were intranationally fragile, but recent regulatory developments may both decrease intranational risk and increase international risk, potentially making them major critical mineral sectors in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105625"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105632","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 : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105603
Chali Nondo , Talknice Saungweme , Nicholas M. Odhiambo
{"title":"Does governance matter in mediating the resource curse? Evidence from Zambia","authors":"Chali Nondo , Talknice Saungweme , Nicholas M. Odhiambo","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study is to empirically examine the short and long-run relationship between natural resource rent, economic growth, governance mechanisms based on the Polity IV, gross capital formation, inflation, and population in Zambia over the period 1986–2018. This study employs the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) to estimate the underlying long-run and short-run relationships between the variables. The study uses three proxies of governance quality, namely autocracy, executive recruitment, and democracy, and estimates three regression models. Furthermore, interaction terms are included to explore how different forms of governance quality influence the economic impact of natural resources. The results confirmed a long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables included in the estimated models. The results further show that the impact of natural resource rents on economic growth depends on the model specification. It is also time-variant, depending on whether the model is estimated in the short run or the long run. Overall, our results do not support the existence of the resource-curse phenomenon in Zambia, regardless of the time frame considered. Instead, the results indicate that natural resources have the potential to spur economic growth in the short run when both executive recruitment and democracy are used as governance proxies, and in the long run when democracy is used. The results also show that governance modulates the impact of natural resource rents on economic growth, but only when proxied by democracy. However, the findings vary depending on the timeframe. While democracy positively influences growth through natural resources in the long run, it has adverse effects in the short run. The results of the study suggest that policymakers in Zambia should enact cautious measures that encourage responsible approaches to utilizing natural resource rents to foster sustainable economic growth. This involves using natural resource rents to boost human and physical capital, as well as diversify the economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105603"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083859","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 : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105628
Olivier Boiral , Marie-Christine Brotherton , David Talbot
{"title":"Anticipating the unforeseeable? ESG risk management in mining companies","authors":"Olivier Boiral , Marie-Christine Brotherton , David Talbot","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105628","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105628","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this article is to investigate the foreseeability of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in the mining sector by analyzing the impacts anticipated when mining projects were first submitted to the authorities, and crises or critical incidents observed ex-post at mining sites. An in-depth analysis of 57 critical sustainability incidents that occurred at 19 different Canadian mining sites, and of the way in which companies and stakeholders anticipated or failed to anticipate them in prior risk analyses, enables us to map the main impacts of this industry and to highlight the uneven ability of companies and stakeholders to effectively anticipate them. The results obtained were analyzed through an integrative model with four main configurations of risk foreseeability: high-visibility risks (good anticipation by both companies and stakeholders), stakeholder red flags (risks identified by stakeholders only), corporate foresight (risks identified by companies only) and black swans (risks neglected by both companies and stakeholders). This article makes substantial contributions to the literature on the foreseeability of ESG risks, the uncertain ways that polluting companies integrate such risks into their planning, and the management of critical sustainability incidents. Practical implications and avenues for future research are also developed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105628"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089916","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 : 2025-05-17DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105611
Samson Adeniyi Aladejare
{"title":"The role of natural resource wealth and national-level economic forces in energy poverty intensity in African economies","authors":"Samson Adeniyi Aladejare","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the overwhelming natural resource endowments and economic progression of Africa, the continent happens to be the world's poorest energy source in terms of availability, affordability, and accessibility of energy for basic human needs. Consequently, this paper examined the contributions of natural resource rents and homogenous economic factors to energy poverty intensity in 26 African countries between 1990 and 2023. Methodologically, the method of moments quantile regression approach was employed in deriving the study's main inferences. Also, the dynamic common correlated estimation technique was applied for robustness. Empirically, the paper demonstrated that in African economies with relatively high levels of energy poverty intensity, resource endowments have a weak effect in propelling the former. However, natural resource rents are more important to exacerbate energy poverty in African countries with relatively more moderate energy poverty severity than those with low intensity. As a national-level economic factor, while income has an insignificant effect irrespective of energy poverty intensity in the African economies, public outlay substantially aggravates across all energy poverty intensity classifications by the same magnitude. However, infrastructure development reduced energy poverty more in economies with relatively low energy poverty severity, followed by moderate and high-intensity nations. Also, population growth's adverse impact was most dominant in the low-energy-poverty-intense countries, followed by the medium- and high-energy-poverty-severe economies. Applicable policy measures were proposed by the study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105611"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071170","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 : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105624
Justine Marty , Salomée Ruel
{"title":"Unpacking the interconnected challenges of rare metals supply chains: A systematic literature network analysis and conceptual framework","authors":"Justine Marty , Salomée Ruel","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The strategic importance of rare metals, essential to produce high-tech devices and green technologies, is increasingly recognized in today's global economy and highly uncertain geopolitical context. However, their supply chains (SCs) are fraught with complexities due to geographical concentration, environmental impact, and ethical concerns. This study addresses the pressing research question: “How do existing research streams on rare metals SCs address the complex, interconnected challenges within these SCs?” By employing a Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA), this research provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in the field, integrating both quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative content analysis. The key contribution of this study is the development of a conceptual framework that synthesizes insights from the literature, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of rare metals SCs. This framework emphasizes the critical need for resilient, and ethically managed supply networks that can face challenges posed by these materials. The findings suggest that while significant progress has been made, substantial gaps remain in understanding and addressing the full spectrum of issues within rare metals SCs. This study not only maps the intellectual landscape of the field but also provides strategic directions for future research, aiming to enhance the sustainability and resilience of SCs in the context of rare metals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105624"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071168","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 : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105601
Charlotte Taylor , Hannah Gold , David Watson , Anthony Darby , Richard Ball , Tim Ibell , Will Hawkins
{"title":"On solid ground: Assessing the scale-up potential of structural stone in the UK","authors":"Charlotte Taylor , Hannah Gold , David Watson , Anthony Darby , Richard Ball , Tim Ibell , Will Hawkins","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Concrete, a ubiquitous material in construction, is primarily composed of crushed limestone bound by cement, the production of which accounts for over 8% of global carbon emissions. Solid stone, in contrast, requires significantly less energy to produce, with its processing limited to extraction, cutting, and transportation. This makes it an increasingly attractive low-carbon alternative. Recent collaborations between structural engineers and stonemasons in the UK have demonstrated the technical feasibility of load-bearing and prestressed stone building systems. However, the potential for scaling up the use of structural stone in construction remains largely unexplored. To assess the scale-up potential of structural stone in the UK, our research employed a qualitative and quantitative design involving 19 in-depth interviews with stone quarry and mine managers across the UK and Europe. We found that, as perceived by our sample of interviewees, the biggest reported bottleneck to scaling up structural stone production in the UK is the availability and cost of labour; that a change in architectural preference of aesthetics and stone sizes could reduce waste, energy use and drive down costs; that there is lack of demand for structural stone products despite the increasing interest in it as a low-carbon material; that the decarbonisation potential of stone rests on investment in the sector; and that the total stone resource is not limiting but the process to extend existing, or open new, quarries needs streamlining to allow for rapid scale up. We anticipate our study to be a foundation for strategic planning and investment, enabling stone to reduce the embodied emissions of buildings and be produced economically at scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 105601"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071169","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}