Global production of rare earths was estimated at 280,000 tonnes in 2021 and is expected to rise to 1.5 million tonnes in 2021.ccording to estimates, China will account for 60% of the total. However pollution caused by rare earth mining is not one of its concerns.
European industry is highly vulnerable in terms of rare earth supplies, and the European Union is encouraging member states to develop and diversify their sources of supply in order to mitigate this imbalance. However, it is subject to stringent environmental legislation, which is much less stringent or non-existent outside the EU. So as long as the risks of pollution linked to this production are not taken into account on a global scale, industries will continue to produce elsewhere and thus contribute to this pollution.
