German politics on raw materials aims to influence the mineral resources sector in the long term, from the extraction to the consumption of mineral resources, with the help of strategy papers, information documents, funding programs, regulations and laws. However, for many years now, German raw material politics has not managed to present strategies and demonstrate successes that convince all stakeholders. ...
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Levy on Commodities Companies
Possible government activities aimed at securing the supplies of raw materials have lately come under scrutiny. A company levy is the obvious means of choice to finance any such actions. Would a charge of this nature be compatible with fundamental rights and the fiscal constitution? This article is based on an expert assessment prepared by the author for the Federal ...
Read More »Circular Economy in Mining – Active Integration of Environmental, Social and Governance Criteria into the Core Business
Mining companies are the enablers of the energy transition and green future technologies, as they provide the materials urgently needed for these in increasing quantities and on a broader scale. The mining sector is a key industry with regard to many sustainability issues and is therefore confronted with complex demands from its stakeholders. Pressure is arising in particular from stricter ...
Read More »Blue Mining Strategically Integrates Circular Economy
The mining industry faces a complex and pressing challenge driven by an increasing demand for raw materials and a socially demanding and globalized world. The extraction of primary raw materials has gained importance as one of the cornerstones of humanity’s sustainable development, significantly because the necessary raw materials to evolve towards a sustainable future as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt ...
Read More »ZauBer – Materials of the Future from Old Mines
The challenges posed by the many geopolitical upheavals of the last years, as well as the need to find new ways of extracting raw materials and securing the raw material base for domestic industry, have long remained without any significant echo in Europe. Deep-rooted in relevant speeches and discussions is the awareness that mining per se is something dirty that ...
Read More »Prototype Tests for the Treatment of Geothermal Waters for Raw Material Extraction and Freshwater Production
Geothermal fluids are a proven resource for sustainable baseload energy worldwide. Recently the fluids circulated in large volume streams in geothermal power plants have also come into focus for the potential of raw material extraction, such as Lithium. Geothermal fluids are the product of high-temperature and high-pressure water-rock interaction. This results in varying degrees of enrichment of different elements. Among ...
Read More »Wind Power for the Transition at Coal Sites – Prospects and Problems
Wind power is one of the politically prioritised options for the energy transition to climate neutrality at coal sites, although the use of “Carbon Capture and Storage” (CCS) technology during coal-burning operations is also a possible method for the reduction of CO2 emissions. Wind power is undergoing impressive technological and economic development, and its expansion enjoys a high priority in energy ...
Read More »International Efforts for the Abatement of Methane Emissions in the Energy Sector
The abatement of greenhouse gas emissions has long been a focal point of international climate policy as an important aspect in achieving or as the direct topic of climate targets. As a greenhouse gas with a relatively short life time in the atmosphere and strong global warming potential compared to carbon dioxide, methane emission abatement measures present an opportunity for ...
Read More »Tactical Medical Mining Rescue − Guideline-based Tactical Emergency Medicine for Mine Rescue Teams and Rescue Organizations in Remote Areas
In mining and remote areas of resource industry, there has been a development towards lacking emergency medical first aid response, that creates a potential disadvantage for patients after work accidents and other medical emergencies compared to standard population. This is due to structural changes in mine rescue brigade coverage caused by transformation from formerly few major resource companies towards many ...
Read More »Environmental Pressures of Current Mining in Germany: a Critical Comment
Mines interfere with the environment. However, active mining in Germany in its various forms causes only small overall environmental pressures, based on data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, due to its limited land use, waste production, water extraction as well as particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, federal politics should acquire and present to the public strategies, ...
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