Challenges in Balancing Sustainability, Competitiveness and Geopolitics in Critical Mineral Supply Chains
基于对欧洲企业代表的访谈，研究了企业在关键原材料供应链中如何应对可持续性、竞争力和地缘政治风险之间的冲突，揭示了政策目标在实践中难以协调，并呼吁更连贯的跨区域框架。
ABSTRACT The energy transition is driving demand for critical raw materials (CRMs), creating complex challenges for companies in CRM supply chains. This study examines how firms in Europe navigate the intersecting pressures of sustainability, competitiveness and geopolitical risk, based on interviews with industry representatives. We investigate what motivates sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices, the barriers companies encounter, and how evolving regulatory and geopolitical contexts shape their strategies. While companies increasingly see a business case for sustainability and report structured SSCM efforts, they face persistent constraints such as limited supplier leverage, price competition and import dependencies. Regulatory initiatives like the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive are driving change, but governance gaps and uncertainty hinder impact. Industry responses reveal that policy goals aiming to reconcile sustainability, competitiveness and geopolitical resilience are difficult to achieve in practice, highlighting the need for more coherent, cross‐regional frameworks to support secure and responsible CRM supply chains.