The concept of green minerals and the prospect of international cooperation

Mineral resources serve as a vital material foundation for the development of human society. The traditional development model has engendered a host of issues, including resource waste, ecological degradation, and supply chain risks, which impede global sustainable development. Consequently, green minerals have emerged as the core direction for mining transformation and global green cooperation. This study is conducted to clarify the evolution of green minerals, define their connotation and extension, distinguish them from related concepts, refine their ideological framework, and propose pathways for international cooperation. It aims to provide theoretical references and practical guidance for the green and sustainable utilization of global mineral resources and international cooperation. Employing historical analysis, comparative research, and logical induction, the study briefly reviews the three-stage evolution of green minerals: conceptual germination, exploratory development, and comprehensive advancement. It dissects their core connotations—whole-life-cycle greening, ecological priority, high-efficiency circularity, and responsibility synergy—and their extended boundaries encompassing the entire industrial chain, diverse types, and broad spatial scope. By comparing green minerals with strategic and critical minerals in terms of orientation, focus, scope, and objectives, the study highlights the defining feature of green minerals: their global cooperation-oriented nature. It elucidates the core ideological framework guided by the Two Mountains Theory（lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets） and Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, aligned with the Four Global Initiatives（Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative）. Furthermore, under the guidance of the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals, it prospects the future of international cooperation across four dimensions: multilateral platform establishment, core resource cooperation, technological innovation sharing, and safeguard mechanism improvement. The findings indicate that green minerals represent a development and utilization standard and sustainable development model possessing dual attributes of green processes and green applications, rather than a fixed set of mineral species. Centered on global cooperation, they complement strategic minerals（focused on national security） and critical minerals（focused on supply chain security）, boasting a more universal and global scope. Rooted in China’s practices of ecological civilization construction, the green mineral concept effectively aligns with the Four Global Initiatives, forming an ideology rooted in China yet oriented toward the world. the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals provides a framework for global cooperation, and the coordinated advancement of the four cooperation dimensions can address practical challenges such as inconsistent standards, unstable supply chains, and inadequate cooperation mechanisms. This study confirms that green minerals are a pivotal pathway to reconcile resource development with ecological protection and drive the coordinated transformation of global mining. They enable the unification of ecological, economic, and social benefits. Not only do they chart the course for the high-quality development of China’s mining industry, but they also offer a Chinese solution for the green governance of global mineral resources, contributing to the global green and low-carbon transition and sustainable development.