Security of Supply at Risk: Experts Call for a Strategic Metals Policy

2026-07-30 Workshop Outlines Twelve Key Recommendations for a Sustainable and Crisis-Resilient Supply of Raw Materials

Berlin. Germany must shift from reacting to taking proactive action when it comes to the supply of critical and strategic metals. This is evident from the recently presented findings of an expert workshop on the “Raw Materials Transition: Metals.” In light of growing geopolitical risks, high dependence on imports—particularly from China—and increasing supply chain disruptions, the experts offer twelve concrete recommendations for action aimed at policymakers, the business community, and society. The workshop was organized by the German Raw Materials Agency, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Pforzheim University, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, and Energy, the Science Platform Sustainability 2030, PolitikLabor, and Transformateure.

“The guiding principle behind our recommendations is the development of a long-term, strategic metals policy,” explains co-organizer Prof. Dr. Klaus Kümmerer from the Institute for Sustainable Chemistry at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. The goal, he says, must be to secure the supply of critical metals in a way that is permanent, sustainable, and crisis-resistant. The range of measures proposed for this purpose extends from short-term crisis preparedness to a comprehensive national metals strategy.

Among the most important short-term recommendations are the establishment of a strategic raw materials reserve for critical and strategic metals, as well as the introduction of emergency plans, crisis management teams, and regular stress tests for supply chains. These measures are intended to better prepare Germany for acute supply shortages.

To ensure supply in the medium and long term, the experts recommend, among other things, the creation of a national metals registry, the introduction of digital product passports, and the systematic tracking and reduction of metal consumption in digital infrastructure. At the same time, losses of valuable technology metals throughout their entire life cycle should be reduced, and recycling potential should be consistently tapped.

Another priority is the development of a National Metals Strategy. This strategy is intended to consolidate existing raw materials policy, coordinate it across government departments, and establish the security of metal supply as a strategic priority for the future. A modern metals policy is considered to be on par with energy policy.

The recommendations are directed not only at policymakers but also at companies, labor unions, environmental organizations, and consumers. Companies should make their supply chains more resilient, expand recycling markets, and drive innovations in material substitution. At the same time, civil society and labor unions should actively accompany the raw materials transition and support it with their own concepts.

The full report on the workshop can be found here.