Working Paper 92

The global race for critical minerals is reshaping national strategies, industrial ambitions, and international supply chains. Yet a central question remains: how can mineral wealth be harnessed to support sustainable and equitable development, rather than replicating extractive patterns of the past?

In Working Paper 92, Critical Minerals & Resource Nationalism 2.0: Why the Policy is More Critical than the Mineral, Amir Lebdioui (Director, TIDE Centre, University of Oxford) and Thea Riofrancos (Senior Research Advisor, TIDE; Associate Professor, Providence College) examine global cases to identify both the opportunities and the risks of leveraging mineral resources for long-term socio-economic transformation.

As the paper notes: “Communities in resource-rich regions often bear the brunt of mining’s negative consequences—such as land dispossession, water pollution, and threats to Indigenous rights—raising questions about who really benefits from the extraction of these strategic minerals.”

The authors argue that sovereign control over resources alone is not enough. Effective strategies require:

• Technological foresight to anticipate shifts in global value chains
  
• Inclusive social governance that prioritises equity and Indigenous rights
  
• Robust environmental safeguards to protect ecosystems and communities
  
• Integration with industrial and development policies to ensure resource wealth supports broader economic transformation

 

This paper provides policymakers, researchers, and civil society with evidence and guidance to ensure that critical minerals become drivers of equitable and sustainable development.🔗 Read the full paper here