By 2050, the annual nickel supply will have to increase by 208%, and annual copper supply by 156% relative to 2020 production levels, if global net-zero emissions goals are to be achieved, according to a recent report produced by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation.

At least another 15 minerals and metals must be extracted at similar rates to achieve climate targets, it added.

This will be a monumental task. Some analysts reckon it simply isn't possible. Others question whether satisfying the growing demand for these critical minerals can be done sustainably.

Speaking in April, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "As we reshape how we power our societies and economies, we cannot replace one dirty, exploitative, extractive industry with another dirty, exploitative, extractive industry. The race to net-zero cannot trample over the poor."

EU legislation supports this aim. The recently agreed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive means that, from 2029, European companies will have to prove they are taking action to protect the environment and human rights throughout their supply chains.

"The regulations and rules coming from Brussels in connection with the EU Green Deal apply equally to European businesses and to foreign businesses seeking to sell goods or services within the EU," Chris Humphrey, executive director of the EU-ASEAN Business Council, told DW.

"It is clear that European businesses, because of the rules in place by the regulators in Europe, now need to ensure that their overseas operations are in compliance with various reporting requirements coming out from Brussels and elsewhere,” he added.

In July, Germany's BASF and France's Eramet withdrew........

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