Evaluating the Environmental Cost of Rare‑Earth Expansion Beyond China

Australia aims for a responsible approach, but cleaner production could drive up prices.

Wastewater from a rare-earth refining facility in China’s Inner Mongolia is discharged into a nearby lake. © Reuters

SUBARU TANAKA

August 22, 2026 10:01 JST

TOKYO — As Australia seeks to position itself as a responsible supplier of rare earths to counterbalance China’s dominance, the question of who will absorb the costs of reducing the sector’s substantial environmental footprint remains unresolved.

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