Mineral Resource Abundance: An Assessment Methodology for a Responsible Use of Mineral Raw Materials in Downstream Industries

Nicolas Charles (), Gaétan Lefebvre, Rémy Tuloup (), Audrey Carreaud, Antoine Boubault, Anne-Sophie Serrand, Maxime Picault, Virginie Piguet, Valeria Manzin, Fabien Deswarte and Julien Aupoil
Additional contact information
Nicolas Charles: BRGM-French Geological Survey, 3 av. Claude Guillemin, CEDEX 2, 45060 Orléans, France
Gaétan Lefebvre: BRGM-French Geological Survey, 3 av. Claude Guillemin, CEDEX 2, 45060 Orléans, France
Rémy Tuloup: L’Oréal Recherche & Innovation, 1 av. Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
Audrey Carreaud: L’Oréal Recherche & Innovation, 1 av. Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
Antoine Boubault: BRGM-French Geological Survey, 3 av. Claude Guillemin, CEDEX 2, 45060 Orléans, France
Anne-Sophie Serrand: BRGM-French Geological Survey, 3 av. Claude Guillemin, CEDEX 2, 45060 Orléans, France
Maxime Picault: BRGM-French Geological Survey, 3 av. Claude Guillemin, CEDEX 2, 45060 Orléans, France
Virginie Piguet: L’Oréal Recherche & Innovation, 1 av. Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
Valeria Manzin: L’Oréal Recherche & Innovation, 1 av. Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
Fabien Deswarte: L’Oréal Recherche & Innovation, 1 av. Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
Julien Aupoil: L’Oréal Recherche & Innovation, 1 av. Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-39

Abstract: The sustainability of mineral resources and, in particular, their abundance is a topic of growing interest. Nevertheless, the abundance of mineral raw materials is an extremely complex notion as it not only encompasses geological considerations but also environmental, technical, economic, and social constraints. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, no tools are currently available to allow a comprehensive evaluation of mineral raw material abundance. This research paper, therefore, aims to present an innovative and unique methodology to evaluate the abundance of non-energy mineral resources and determine a mineral abundance index (MAI). Based on a multicriteria analysis, MAI considers the natural abundance of a mineral raw material in the Earth’s crust and its availability on the market and integrates the influence of factors that could constrain or promote future market changes. This new index ranging from 0 (very scarce) to 100 (very abundant) aims to qualify the abundance of mineral resources in a simple and rapid manner based on published and reliable data. This new methodology could be a powerful decision-making support tool for any downstream industrials and end-users making use of mineral raw materials.

Keywords: mineral resources; sustainable development; downstream industry; depletion; abundance; bentonite (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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