Just recently, the European Commission launched an investigation into cheap Chinese electric vehicles 'flooding' our market. This is just one of the challenges that Europe is facing in its transition towards electric mobility and reducing CO2 emissions. On 13 November, the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals (SIM²) will be releasing a documentary that advocates for Europe's independent value chain, from responsible mining of raw materials to a clean re-industrialisation of Europe for building cars.
In the documentary, SIM² manager Peter Tom Jones travels to the Far North and visits the Kiruna and Aitik mines in northern Sweden, where important raw materials are mined. Kiruna is also home to the largest rare earth deposit in Europe. Although the mining activities have an impact on the local people, they understand the necessity of it: "Without the mine, there is no Kiruna". One-third of the town is even being relocated to allow for the expansion of the mine.
"A degrowth scenario, a reduction in consumption and production, is not feasible in a globalised world which is expected to have a population of nearly 10 billion people by 2050," says Peter Tom Jones, manager of the SIM² Institute. "Instead, we must aim for responsible, selective growth and strive to reconcile economy and ecology as much as possible. The Nordic countries are already leading the way."
The documentary serves as a wake-up call for Europe, as swift action is needed to prepare our continent for the new realities of resource nationalism and protectionism. Significant investments are required in order to work towards a carbon-neutral re-industrialisation of Europe, and measures should be taken to ensure fair competition with "dirty" raw materials or products.
For example, refining mined nickel ore in Finland is notably more efficient and emits less CO2 than in Indonesia. Finland is also investing in its battery production and flexible vehicle assembly processes, which will ultimately allow it to compete with the cheap Chinese cars.
The documentary features Maros Sefcovic, the European commissioner responsible for the Green Deal, the EU Battery Alliance and the Critical Raw Materials Act, ensuring Europe's access to critical and strategic raw materials. "In Europe, we are in favour of free trade, but we also want fair trade," the commissioner emphasises, and he does not rule out the implementation of price compensation measures.
