I fabbisogni di materie prime minerali per la produzione sostenibile nel quadro internazionale

Mineral raw materials are fundamental resources for the civil society and play an important role in the process of Sustainable Devel- opment. Their contribution to the economic and social development is strategic, but they must be produced and used in an environmentally sustainable manner. The application of this principles to non–renewable natural resources is complex and characterized by a high degree of uncertainty. The extension of the concept of eco–compatibility should overcome the physical boundaries of extractive and mineral processing sites, in order to encompass not only the environmental impacts of mining/quarrying, but also the environmental implications of mineral– based products, including their end–of–life. However, the expression "sustainability of the mineral industries" could be perceived as not straightforward. Much more meaningful is debating on how the min- eral industries can positively contribute to the Sustainable Development as a whole. In particular, the concept of "dynamic resource" will be dis- cussed. What is currently considered a resource, and that consequently must be used for the economic and social development, might cease to be a resource in the future, as it happened several times in history.