WEMO 2025 (complet) - Flipbook - Page 66
02 Critical resources
Our convictions
1
2
All resources are critical, yet some are
being overlooked - leading to
unexpected shortages and price spikes.
Resource criticality is increasingly driven
by short-term market dynamics - such as
price volatility and strategic behavior by
key players (e.g., organized shortages
aimed at driving up prices) - rather than
by planetary boundaries or absolute
scarcity. The persistent mismatch
between supply and growing demand is
further intensi昀椀ed by geopolitical
tensions and the evolving economic
outlook in Asia, with China remaining
central and India playing an increasingly
signi昀椀cant role. This creates a 'pendulum
e昀昀ect' that disrupts predictability and
complicates long-term planning.
3
Even industries with relatively low
resource consumption are exposed to
risks due to the strategic importance of
certain materials. This calls for a
systemic approach to resource security
across sectors.
4
Tari昀昀 pressure remains a key concern and
must be factored into resource strategies.
Identifying and mastering bottlenecks in
global supply chains - especially in
proprietary access to resources and
control over equipment value chains - can
unlock competitive advantage.
5
While mitigation strategies exist, they
often come with added costs and
uncertainties. These must be carefully
assessed to ensure resilience without
compromising economic viability.
6
Resources must be managed through a
global, value-chain-oriented lens that
integrates circularity. This includes urban
mining, recycling, and dismantling strategies
that recover value while reducing
dependency on virgin materials.
7
Digital tools - such as modeling platforms,
life cycle asset management systems, and eprocurement - are essential to enable a
systemic resource strategy and support
informed decision-making.
8
Anticipating and modeling resource risks is
crucial to guide today’s technological and
industrial choices - decisions that will shape
competitiveness and sustainability over the
next 50 years.
