Why We Need Clear Boundaries for Earth's Minerals in Environmental Assessments

As societies accelerate the transition to greener technologies—such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles—the global demand for minerals and metals is rising sharply. This surge prompts a critical question: how much of Earth’s finite mineral resources can we use without jeopardizing planetary stability or the well-being of future generations? This issue is central to a recent review by Dudka, Hauschild, and Owsianiak (2025), which examines the preparedness of mineral resource boundaries for integration into Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA)—a framework that evaluates environmental impacts relative to Earth’s ecological limits.