Critical raw materials in the city

Abstract

Cobalt is one of the most important critical raw materials for emerging technologies. There are many incentives for analysis of this metal, from increasing demand for rechargeable batteries, rising prices and social issues involved. This paper is the first attempt to perform a substance flow analysis of cobalt at a city level. The analysis resulted in a generic cobalt city flow model that can be adjusted for another CRM or city. The model is meant to help create a better, more accurate national, and subsequently EU level, analysis. The generic city flow model is the first step to extrapolate the bottom-up approach to get reliable results on a broader scale. A case study for the city of The Hague quantified the main cobalt flows within the city. Based on the results it was possible to suggest policy recommendations regarding critical raw materials at an urban level. The main recommendations were the lack of specific data from several sectors and the need for collaboration between governments, statistical offices and entrepreneurs. Those actors should work together to create a database accessible for researchers.