the production of different metals has different potentials to impact the environment. the report gives reasons to why metals can become relatively more important from an environmental impact point of view. first of all, the demand for most metals is rising rapidly and this trend is expected to continue in the coming decades. secondly, a shift towards a renewable energy system implies that the material, especially metal, intensity of energy production will increase substantially. thirdly, in the future, the energy intensity of production of metals is expected to increase due to the use of lesser grade of ores.