Mineral revolution for the Wellbeing Economy

Non-technical summary. As we consider a transition to a low-carbon future, there is a need to examine the mineral needs for
this transformation at a scale reminiscent of the Green Revolution. The efficiency gains of the agrarian transition came at
ecological and social costs that should provide important lessons about future metal sourcing. We present three options for a
Mineral Revolution: status quo, incremental adaption and revolutionary change. We argue that a sustainable Mineral
Revolution requires a paradigm shift that considers wellbeing as a purpose and focuses on preserving natural capital.
Technical summary. As we consider a transition to a low-carbon future, there is a need to examine the mineral needs for this
transformation at a scale reminiscent of the Green Revolution. The efficiency gains of the agrarian transition came at
ecological and social costs that can also provide important lessons about the Mineral Revolution. We lay out some of the key
ways in which such a mineral revolution can be delineated over temporal scales in a paradigm shift that considers wellbeing
as a purpose and focuses on preserving natural capital. These prospects are conceptually presented as three pathways that
consider the status quo, incremental adaption and revolutionary change as a means of planning more effectively for a lowcarbon
transition. Social media summary. Sourcing metals sustainably will require to consider wellbeing as a purpose and to
preserve natural capital.