Materials

Raw materials form the basis of the value chain in our industrialised world. We need to achieve an energy transition and more sustainability, and all of this has direct impacts on the modern-day production of raw materials.

Materials

Raw materials form the basis of the value chain in our industrialised world. We need to achieve an energy transition and more sustainability, and all of this has direct impacts on the modern-day production of raw materials.

Interesting facts about Materials

Raw material production is a topic that is often associated with the developing and emerging countries. But we want to look at global value chains, because climate change knows no national borders. The team also focuses on so-called “greenablers”, i.e. raw materials that are vital to the energy transition, and on raw materials that are needed for significant infrastructure expansion and the trend towards urbanisation. It also works to identify the opportunities for the circular economy in the field of materials and monitors developments in the field of renewable resources. Gregor Holek discusses his team’s work:

Deep-sea mining

The deep sea is a fascinating and as yet little-explored habitat for species that have successfully adapted to the extreme environmental conditions. However, the deep sea also harbours mineral resources such as nickel, cobalt and rare earths, which play an important role in energy transformation. Is the extraction of these raw materials justifiable from a sustainability perspective? The experts at Raiffeisen Capital Management are looking into this question.

Notice: Video translated with AI by HeyGen

Anyone who evaluates a materials sector company, for example one that operates a cobalt mine, on the basis of simple ESG criteria will quickly consider removing it from the ESG portfolio. But without cobalt, there are no wind farms, no electric vehicles, and no energy transition. Is it the job of a leading company in the field of sustainable investment to hinder the global transition to renewable energy? What position do investors take on specific materials? Learn more in this video: