联合国西亚经济社会委员会-关键原材料可持续生产的最佳实践（英）

Background Critical raw materials form the foundation of modern technologies essential for energy transition, digital infrastructure and strategic industries. As the global shift toward a low-carbon economy accelerates, ensuring the secure, sustainable and equitable production of critical raw materials has become an urgent international priority. However, current production systems face complex challenges, including fragmented governance, inconsistent resource classification standards, limited supply chain transparency, environmental degradation and growing socioeconomic inequalities. To support this shift, the Secretary General’s United Nations Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development is working to support the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals to leverage the full capacity of the United Nations system to develop and deploy solutions to these challenges.Critical raw materials such as phosphates, potash, cooper, rare earth elements and lithium are essential for industrial development and low-carbon transitions Best practices for sustainable production of critical raw materials©Revisio/stock.adobe.comE/ESCWA/CL1.CCS/2025/Policy brief.32in the Arab region. However, water scarcity, investment constraints, environmental concerns, unsustainable value chains, access to technology and skills gap challenge the sector’s sustainability.The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) supports countries in the Arab region in integrating sustainable production principles for critical raw materials. These efforts aim to enhance governance, attract investment, and ensure sustainable resource management. This policy brief outlines the best practices for the sustainable production of critical raw materials through six core pillars: policy and regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, value chain optimization, circular economy strategies, capacity-building and social inclusion, and sustainable financing mechanisms. The report highlights best practices to align resource production with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to strengthen long-term climate resilience.1. Policy and standards frameworkA. Unified resource management system1. Establish resource classification and data standardsAnalysis of critical raw materials is constrained by fragmented data, inconsistent resource valuation standards, and difficulties in policy coordination. The coexistence of international and local standards has led to non-comparable data across borders, undermining supply chain resilience and potentially causing underestimation of raw material shortages. A unified standard would not only enhance transparency in resource evaluation but also serve as a key reference for carbon footprint accounting and resource sustainability assessments. The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC)1 and the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS) offer a co