Towards sustainable resource management: identification and quantification of human actions that compromise the accessibility of metal resources

Although metals and minerals represent a prominent asset for sustainable development, continuous population growth the current accelerations in energy mobility transitions are increasing concerns regarding their accessibility future generations. As recent insights have identified access rather than depletion to be dominant factor resources, this paper elaborates on (in)accessibility concept of such raw materials once they entered technosphere. It identifies six human actions that compromise accessibility: emitting, landfilling, tailing, downcycling, hoarding abandoning. analyses degree generated inaccessibility proposes estimated duration as proxy. further explores how sustainability management tools like material flow analysis life cycle could developed address resource (in)accessibility. Finally, presents case study cobalt EU, where five compromising make 70% extracted inaccessible due tailings (21.3%), landfilling (31.2%), downcycling (11.6%), dissipation (1.4%) (4.3%); only 30% is used expand functional stock.