Sustainable use of mineral and energy resources

We focus on critical and strategic minerals, key to the green and digital transition and sustainable mineral management in line with European guidelines and legislation (Critical Raw Materials Act) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

We pursue the objectives of sustainable mineral management through our professional and scientific research activities, the evaluation of resources and reserves, the monitoring of production and use of mineral raw materials, and the operation of a public service for the mining of geological raw materials. In the extraction of mineral and energy raw materials, we support technologies that ensure as far as possible a green transition and minimise negative impacts on the environment.

In the field of non-metallic minerals, we work with industry to maximise self-reliance, public availability of data and the principles of open science in the publication of research results. We study and maintain knowledge on metallic mineral resources. We monitor global trends in the supply of metallic mineral raw materials, in particular critical raw materials, which are now becoming crucial for their use in modern technologies. Using modern research methods and state-of-the-art analytical techniques, we examine the extent to which these elements may also be present in Slovenia and neighbouring countries.

In the field of energy raw materials, we are working to maintain and improve our comprehensive knowledge of the deposits of these raw materials. We are involved in the international exchange of information on such deposits and respond to the demand for our knowledge from active mining installations.

Strategic objectives

1. conducting fundamental and applied research in the field of mineral and energy raw materials, with a focus on critical (CRM) and strategic mineral raw materials (StRM) throughout their life cycle.

2. Implementing, maintaining and upgrading mineral and energy commodity inventories for sustainable management in the light of the Green Transition.

3. Establish a European Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Resource Management.

Activities

To achieve our strategic objectives, we are implementing the following activities: 

  • We maintain and improve our mineral-related core knowledge and regularly update our mineral-related maps.  
  • Updating the Continuous updating of the geological base map with information on mineral and energy resources, and updating and production of thematic maps of narrower and wider areas.  
  • We implement rresearch into the potential of different materials for use as secondary mineral raw materials - with a focus on secondary minerals from mining and ore processing and their CRM content.  
  • Introducing UNFC classification for natural resources in accordance with the Slovenian methodology.
  • We operate a public mining service and manage Mining book in accordance with the Constitutive Act and the ZRud-1.  
  • We are working to obtain a national research programme in the field of minerals.  
  • We are involved in defining and deciding on the criticality of minerals at EU level and in transferring acceptable practices to strategic partners outside the EU.  
  • We are working to establish a European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Resource Management in the field of minerals, based at GeoZS.  

Projects

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Events

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International Scientific Conference SEGH 2026 in Ljubljana, 13-17 July 2026

The 41st International Scientific Conference on Environmental Geochemistry and Health - SEGH2026 will take place in Ljubljana from 13 to 17 July 2026. The conference will address a wide range of current global challenges in the field of environmental geochemistry and health. The main conference themes are: inorganic and organic pollutants in the geosphere, geochemistry...

Presentation of the results of the Evaluation of Research Networks (ERA-NET) - A new approach and presentation of GeoERA good practices, 20 November 2025

The Slovenian Society of Evaluators (SDE) and GeoZS cordially invite you to a presentation of the results of the ERA-NET evaluation and a good practice example. The event will take place on Thursday, 20 November at 14:00 at GeoZS, Dimičeva ulica 14, Ljubljana, in the 6th floor meeting room. The European...

Travelling Exhibition on Citizen Science, GeoZS Reading Room, 10-21 November 2025

The travelling exhibition "Discover, Collaborate, Explore: citizen science in Slovenia" gives visitors an insight into the history of citizen science, presents Slovenian citizen science projects and initiatives that have shaped the field, and shows how they can get involved in scientific research processes or initiate...