Critical Raw Materials for Ireland for a Resource-Efficient Circular Economy

Global raw material supply is becoming increasingly complex and uncertain, exacerbated by resource scarcity and supply chain vulnerabilities. Critical raw materials (CRM) are vital for industrial growth and competitiveness and a resilient circular economy. Ireland lacked a raw material criticality assessment methodology tailored to its unique economic and resource landscape. To address this gap, we developed a CRM methodology tailored to Ireland’s economic and resource landscape. Three methods were developed for assessing raw material criticality with a total of 42 raw materials assessed. A dedicated web-portal has been developed which provides open access to materials criticality analysis to Irish industry, government and academic community. The project report is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which assist relevant stakeholders, including industry and policymakers, in identifying essential materials for various industrial sectors, providing insights into potential supply risks and economic impacts.