Table 1: Global resource extractions, by major groups of resources and regions Source: (OECD 2008)
Metal oresa
1999 reserves (tonnes)
Aluminium Copper Iron
Lead
Nickel Silver Tin
Zinc
25 x 109 340 x 106 74 x 1012 64 x 106 46 x 106 280 x 103 8 x 106
190 x 106
1997–99 average annual primary production (tonnes)
123.7 x 106 12.1 x 106 559.5 x 106 3,070.0 x 103 1,133-3 x 103 16.1 x 103 207.7 x 103 7,753.3 x 103
Life expectancy in yearsb
0% 202 28
132 21 41 17 37 25
, at three growth rates in primary productionb
2% 81 22 65 17 30 15 28 20
5% 48 18 41 14 22 13 21 16
Average annual growth in production 1975–99 (%)
2.9 3.4 0.5
-0.5 1.6 3
-0.5 1.9
Notes: a. For metals other than aluminium, reserves are measured in terms of metal content. For aluminium, reserves are measured in terms of bauxite ore. b. With current production and consumption patterns, technologies and known reserves. c. Life expectancy figures were calculated before reserves and average production data were rounded. As a result, the life expectancies in years (columns 4, 5, 6) may deviate slightly from those derived from reserves and average production (columns 2 and 3).
Table 2: Life expectancies of selected world reserves of metal ores Source: OECD (2008)
cars, fuel cells and energy-efficient lighting systems. (UNEP 2010a). With respect to the availability of critical metals, the EU published in 2010 a list of 14 critical metals
254
or groups of metals that are important to its economy, where supplies may be adversely affected by shortages or political tension (Graedel 2009).
2002
14.4 1.9
2.9 5.2
4.4
6.7 0.9
1.3 2.4
2.0
4.5 0.6
0.9 1.6
1.4 RoW**
Rate of change 1980–2002
35% 30%
31% 25%
58%
-16% -19%
-18% -22%
-2%
-21% -24%
-24% -27%
-8% 2002–2020 63%
104% 60% 50%
63%
20% 51%
18% 11%
21%
-26% -8%
-28% -32%
-26%
Notes: a. Crude oil, coal, natural gas, peat. b. Harvest from agriculture and forestry, marine catches, grazing. c. Industrial minerals, construction minerals. d. Constant 1995 US$. * BRIICS = Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa. ** RoW = Rest of the World