European Union needs to recycle more to fulfil its aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050: Study

A new study conducted by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium has said that the European Union needs to recycle more to fulfil its aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

According to the report, the bloc, which comprises of 27 nations, must act fast to secure the supplies of crucial metals required for the green energy transition.

Amid the boycott of Russian fuel due to its invasion of Ukraine, "There is growing concern about the security of supply" as per the authors of the study.

Lead author Liesbet Gregoir said, "Europe needs to decide urgently how it will bridge its looming supply gap for primary metals. Without a decisive strategy, it risks new dependencies on unsustainable suppliers."

EU is looking for alternative sources of fuel other than generating domestically renewable resources and using less energy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had previously announced that the bloc will reduce its greenhouse gases to a level where the amount produced is balanced out by the amount removed from the atmosphere in the next two decades.

It is partnering with pioneers to introduce more wind, solar, and hydrogen technologies that are eco-friendly.

To create, distribute and expand this clean power, the EU will require substantial inputs of raw materials as per the report.

The study, titled the "Metals for Clean Energy", states that the bloc will need "35 times more lithium" than it uses today to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to "net zero."

The report has been commissioned by Eurometaux, the European association of metal producers and recyclers.

If Europe cuts red tape and invests heavily now in recycling infrastructure, it will be self-sufficient for almost 40 to 70 per cent of its clean energy.

To reduce its reliance on other countries, Europe needs to open new refineries and ore mines that have a "theoretical potential" to provide as high as 55 per cent of its raw metal needs.

(With inputs from agencies)