Technological change in critical metallic mineral sub-sectors and its impacts on mineral supply: Evidence from China

Yi Song, Shengzhe Ruan, Jinhua Cheng and Yijun Zhang

Resources Policy, 2023, vol. 85, issue PA

Abstract: Ensuring the supply of critical metallic mineral is vital to addressing climate issues, and technological change is recognized as an important way to effectively improve the supply of critical metallic mineral. Taking 14 critical metallic mineral sub-sectors in China as samples, this study first measures their technological change (TC), which is decomposed into magnitude of technological change (MTC) and biased technological change (BTC). Then, the impact of technological change on the supply of critical mineral is explored and heterogeneity is considered. Finally, production scale and production cost are introduced as mediating variables to explore their influence mechanisms. The results show that: (1) technological change promotes the improvement of green total factor productivity (GTFP) of critical metallic mineral sub-sectors in China from two dimensions of MTC and BTC, in which aluminum sector has the strongest promoting effect while antimony sector has the lowest promoting effect. (2) TC and MTC in critical metallic mineral sub-sectors have a significant contribution to mineral supply, but there is heterogeneity, with technological change having a greater impact on the mining industry than the smelting industry. (3) Technological change in critical metallic mineral sub-sectors can indirectly guarantee the supply of mineral products by increasing production scale and reducing production costs. In summary, more policies that are conducive to technological change should be developed, and it helps to guarantee the supply of critical metallic minerals.

Keywords: Technological change; Critical metallic mineral sub-sectors; Supply of critical minerals; Production scale effect; Production cost effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:85:y:2023:i:pa:s0301420723005615

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103850

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