Gold and green forests: CRMA and the challenges for fossil free electricity supply in Sweden

Renewable electricity production from wind and solar is described as both desirable and necessary part of the green transition, the transition to a fossil-free electricity system and increased electrification. However, the fossil-free electricity system requires critical raw materials in the form of minerals.

This project aims to analyze the social and environmental consequences of the simplified permit process for the extraction of CRM that is part of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) legislative package. The project is limited to raw materials of importance for solar and wind power in Sweden and the EU and focuses on how the sustainability goals and OECD requirements for responsibility and due diligence in CRMA can be met, as well as the legal challenges that it brings.

The problem area is analyzed from interdisciplinary perspectives and contributes to important new knowledge about the complexity of the issue and possible solutions.