China’s monopoly over rare earths endangers global high‑tech supply chains and raises severe environmental concernsExecutive summary: China dominates the global rare‑earth market, supplying essential materials for high‑tech and green‑energy sectors while generating large volumes of hazardous waste. The concentration of supply creates strategic vulnerability for downstream industries and raises sustainability concerns due to the waste produced. The primary actor is the Chinese government and its mining enterprises; downstream users include semiconductor, battery and renewable‑energy manufacturers worldwide. Countries may seek diversification of rare‑earth sources, tighter recycling regulations, and increased scrutiny of environmental impacts.The article reports that China controls the majority of rare‑earth production, a critical input for semiconductors, batteries and renewable‑energy technologies. It highlights that extracting one tonne of these elements generates up to 5,000 tonnes of toxic waste, including radioactive residues. While the economic reliance on Chinese supplies is acknowledged, the piece does not assess the adequacy of current mitigation strategies. The environmental externalities are presented as a factual risk.Connected developmentsU.S. restricts export of advanced AI models, forcing Anthropic to block foreign accessOpen the full case file on Beyond →
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