UNEP 200 Integrated Indicator Framework: Mineral Extraction
As of 2026, the UNEP 200 Integrated Indicator Framework represents the world’s most comprehensive system for tracking the lifecycle and impact of mineral extraction. Built upon the Economy-Wide Material Flow Accounting (EW-MFA) global standard, this framework moves beyond simple tonnage to evaluate the "Triple Planetary Crisis"—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. By integrating 200 distinct data points, UNEP provides policymakers with a "macro-to-micro" lens: from high-level SDG 12.2 metrics like the Material Footprint to granular site-specific indicators such as Tailings Dam Stability and Indigenous Consent Rates. This integrated approach is essential for achieving "Absolute Decoupling," ensuring that global economic development no longer requires the exponential destruction of natural ecosystems.
UNEP 200 Indicator: Mineral Extraction
| Material Group | Specific Category (Sub-Groups) |
| I. BIOMASS | 1. Cereals |
| 2. Roots and tubers | |
| 3. Sugar crops | |
| 4. Pulses | |
| 5. Nuts | |
| 6. Oil-bearing crops | |
| 7. Vegetables | |
| 8. Fruits | |
| 9. Fibers | |
| 10. Other crops (Spices, stimulant crops, tobacco) | |
| 11. Crop residues (Straw, tops, leaves) | |
| 12. Fodder crops and grazed biomass | |
| 13. Wood (Industrial roundwood and fuel wood) | |
| 14. Wild fish catch, aquatic plants, and animals | |
| 15. Hunting and gathering | |
| II. FOSSIL FUELS | 16. Coal and lignite |
| 17. Oil shale and tar sands | |
| 18. Peat | |
| 19. Crude oil and natural gas liquids | |
| 20. Natural gas | |
| III. METAL ORES | 21. Iron ores |
| 22. Copper ores | |
| 23. Nickel ores | |
| 24. Other non-ferrous metal ores (Lead, Zinc, Tin, etc.) | |
| 25. Precious metal ores (Gold, Silver, Platinum) | |
| IV. NON-METALLIC MINERALS | 26. Ornamental and building stone |
| 27. Limestone, gypsum, chalk, and dolomite | |
| 28. Clays and kaolin | |
| 29. Sand and gravel (Including silica sand) |
| Group | Category No. & Description |
| V. PHYSICAL IMPORTS | 30. Cereals and cereal products |
| (Total mass of goods | 31. Roots, tubers, and their products |
| entering the national | 32. Sugar crops and products |
| economy) | 33. Pulses, nuts, and oilcrops |
| 34. Vegetables, fruits, and fibers | |
| 35. Other crop products (Spices, stimulants, tobacco) | |
| 36. Animals and animal products (Meat, dairy, eggs) | |
| 37. Wood and wood products (Timber, paper, pulp) | |
| 38. Fish and aquatic products | |
| 39. Coal and coal products | |
| 40. Liquid and gaseous fossil fuel products | |
| 41. Iron ores, concentrates, and iron/steel products | |
| 42. Non-ferrous metal ores and processed metal products | |
| 43. Non-metallic mineral products (Cement, glass, bricks) | |
| 44. Other products (Waste for recycling, miscellaneous) | |
| VI. PHYSICAL EXPORTS | 45. Biomass and biomass products (Exported) |
| (Total mass of goods | 46. Fossil fuels and products (Exported) |
| leaving the national | 47. Metal ores and products (Exported) |
| economy) | 48. Non-metallic minerals and products (Exported) |
| 49. Other products and waste (Exported) | |
| VII. DOMESTIC OUTPUTS | 50. Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) from fossil fuel use |
| (Materials flowing back | 51. Methane ($CH_4$) and Nitrous Oxide ($N_2O$) |
| to the environment) | 52. Sulfur and Nitrogen oxides ($SO_x$, $NO_x$) |
| 53. Carbon Monoxide ($CO$) and particulate matter (PM) | |
| 54. Nitrogen and Phosphorus runoff to water | |
| 55. Heavy metals and chemicals to water/soil | |
| 56. Municipal solid waste (Landfilled/Uncontrolled) | |
| 57. Industrial and mining waste | |
| 58. Hazardous waste | |
| 59. Fertilizer and pesticide use (Dissipative use) | |
| 60. Seeds and organic materials (Dissipative use) | |
| 61. Road salt and sand (Dissipative use) | |
| 62. Erosion of infrastructure (Tires, paint, brake pads) | |
| VIII. BALANCING ITEMS | 63. Oxygen for combustion (Input) |
| (Required for technical | 64. Oxygen for respiration (Input) |
| mass-balance consistency) | 65. Nitrogen for industrial processes (Input) |
| 66. Water vapor from combustion (Output) | |
| 67. $CO_2$ from human/livestock respiration (Output) | |
| 68. Excreta from humans and livestock (Output) | |
| 69. Evaporation of water from products (Output) | |
| 70. Net Addition to Stocks (Material added to buildings/roads) |
| Group | Category No. & Description |
| IX. UNUSED EXTRACTION | 71. Mining overburden (Waste rock from metal mining) |
| (Materials moved but | 72. Soil excavation (From construction and infrastructure) |
| not used in the economy) | 73. Dredged materials (From harbors and river maintenance) |
| 74. Wood harvesting residues (Leftover in forests) | |
| 75. By-catch from wild fishing | |
| X. INDIRECT FLOWS (RME) | 76. Raw Material Equivalents (RME) of Imported Biomass |
| (Hidden extraction from | 77. Raw Material Equivalents (RME) of Imported Fossil Fuels |
| foreign trade) | 78. Raw Material Equivalents (RME) of Imported Metal Ores |
| 79. Raw Material Equivalents (RME) of Imported Minerals | |
| 80. Raw Material Equivalents (RME) of Exported Goods | |
| XI. DERIVED INDICATORS | 81. Direct Material Input (DMI) (DE + Imports) |
| (Calculated flagship | 82. Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) (DMI - Exports) |
| metrics for SDG 12.2) | 83. Physical Trade Balance (PTB) (Imports - Exports) |
| 84. Material Footprint (MF) (DE + RME Imports - RME Exports) | |
| 85. Total Material Requirement (TMR) (DMI + Unused DE) | |
| XII. EFFICIENCY RATIOS | 86. Resource Productivity (GDP / DMC) |
| (Measuring decoupling) | 87. Material Intensity (DMC / GDP) |
| 88. Material Footprint per Capita | |
| 89. DMC per Capita | |
| 90. Circular Material Use Rate | |
| XIII. RECYCLING & STOCKS | 91. Secondary Raw Materials (Recovered from waste) |
| (Circular economy | 92. End-of-Life Waste (Available for recovery) |
| indicators) | 93. Total Social Stock (Accumulated buildings/roads/machinery) |
| 94. Stock Depletion (Demolition and decommissioning) | |
| XIV. ADJUSTMENTS | 95. Inventory changes (Stockpiled raw materials) |
| 96. Fuel for international bunkers (Aviation/Marine) | |
| 97. Resident principle adjustments (Goods used by citizens abroad) | |
| 98. Non-resident principle adjustments (Goods used by tourists) | |
| 99. Moisture content adjustment (For biomass/coal) | |
| 100. Net Material Balance Error (Statistical discrepancy) |
| Group | Category No. & Description |
| XV. SOCIO-ECONOMIC STOCKS | 101. Building Stocks (Residential and Commercial) |
| (The 'Urban Mine' – | 102. Infrastructure Stocks (Roads, bridges, railways) |
| materials currently in use) | 103. Machinery and Equipment Stocks |
| 104. Durable Consumer Goods (Vehicles, appliances) | |
| 105. Livestock and Biomass Stocks | |
| XVI. SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS | 106. Recycled content in total material input |
| (Measuring the Circular | 107. End-of-life recycling input rate |
| Economy) | 108. Share of renewable materials in total consumption |
| 109. Trade in waste and scrap (Secondary imports/exports) | |
| 110. Circular Material Use Rate (CMU) | |
| XVII. DECOUPLING INDICATORS | 111. Resource Productivity (GDP / DMC) |
| (Measuring progress on | 112. Material Footprint per unit of Value Added |
| SDG 8.4 and 12.2) | 113. Relative Decoupling Index |
| 114. Absolute Decoupling Status (Yes/No) | |
| 115. Material Intensity of Household Consumption | |
| XVIII. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT | 116. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions per ton extracted |
| (The link between | 117. Water stress per unit of mineral extraction |
| extraction and nature) | 118. Biodiversity Loss Risk (Species extinction risk per ton) |
| 119. Land Use change (Hectares per ton of mineral) | |
| 120. Toxic waste generated per ton of metal ore | |
| XIX. SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT | 121. Value Added per ton of material extracted |
| (The human side of | 122. Employment in the extractive and recycling sectors |
| mineral extraction) | 123. Resource Rents (% of GDP) |
| 124. Material Self-Sufficiency Rate | |
| 125. Social Materialism Index |
| Group | Category No. & Description |
| XX. ADVANCED DECOUPLING | 126. Decoupling Gap: The distance between current extraction and a target "sustainable" level. |
| (Measuring the distance | 127. Resource Productivity Growth Rate (Annual % change). |
| to sustainability) | 128. Material Footprint Intensity of Exported Value. |
| 129. Relative vs. Absolute Decoupling Status (Flag indicator). | |
| 130. Material-to-GDP Elasticity. | |
| XXI. SUPPLY CHAIN RISK | 131. Import Dependency Ratio for Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). |
| (The 'Strategic' Mineral | 132. Concentration of Supply (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index for minerals). |
| Extraction indicators) | 133. Recycling Input Rate (RIR) for specific transition metals (Lithium, Cobalt). |
| 134. Embedded Mineral Extraction in Final Demand. | |
| 135. Supply Chain "Material Distance" (Geographical spread of extraction). | |
| XXII. PLANETARY BOUNDARIES | 136. Share of Global Material Budget (National share of the 100Gt limit). |
| (Linking extraction to | 137. Extraction-induced Biodiversity Loss per unit of GDP. |
| global limits) | 138. Mineral Depletion Rate (Reserve-to-Production ratio). |
| 139. Cumulative Material Extraction (Historical footprint). | |
| 140. Tipping point proximity for local ecosystems (due to mining). | |
| XXIII. WASTE & LEAKAGE | 141. Hidden Flows of Trade (Unused extraction occurring abroad). |
| (Advanced circularity) | 142. Illegal/Unreported Extraction (Estimates of artisanal/informal mining). |
| 143. Material Leakage Rate (Percentage of stocks not recovered at end-of-life). | |
| 144. Circularity Gap (The percentage of national demand not met by secondary materials). | |
| 145. Toxic Potency of Mining Waste (Toxicity-weighted tonnage). | |
| XXIV. THE 2026 UPDATES | 146. Digital Passport Integration: Minerals tracked via blockchain. |
| (Modern Policy Tools) | 147. Scope 3 Material Footprint (Corporate level aggregation). |
| 148. Gender-disaggregated Employment in Mineral Extraction. | |
| 149. Indigenous Land Overlap with Active Extraction Sites. | |
| 150. Net Material Zero (The balance between extraction and permanent storage/recycling). |
| Group | Category No. & Description |
| XXV. BIODIVERSITY & LAND | 151. Extraction-related Deforestation Rate (Hectares/year). |
| (Measuring the 'Nature | 152. Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) score per ton. |
| Positive' transition) | 153. Land Footprint of Mining: Total area occupied by pits/tailings. |
| 154. Ecosystem Service Value Loss due to site degradation. | |
| 155. Invasive species risk index at decommissioned sites. | |
| XXVI. WATER & TOXICITY | 156. Water Footprint of Extraction: Blue/Green water use per ton. |
| (The 'Zero Pollution' | 157. Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) risk levels in local watersheds. |
| indicators) | 158. Chemical Intensity: Amount of processing chemicals (cyanide, etc.) used. |
| 159. Tailings Dam Stability Index (Risk of failure). | |
| 160. Heavy Metal Leaching Rate into local groundwater. | |
| XXVII. FINANCIAL & RENTS | 161. Resource Rents as % of GDP: The economic "bonus" from extraction. |
| (The 'Economic Stability' | 162. Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) reinvestment ratio of mining profits. |
| indicators) | 163. Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) related to mineral trade. |
| 164. Price Volatility Index for domestic critical minerals. | |
| 165. Tax Transparency Score for the extractive sector. | |
| XXVIII. SOCIAL & HUMAN | 166. Social License to Operate (SLO) Index: Community acceptance levels. |
| (The 'Just Transition' | 167. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) incident rate per 1,000 workers. |
| indicators) | 168. Local Procurement Ratio: Percentage of supply chain spend stayed locally. |
| 169. Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRA) sourcing share. | |
| 170. Artisan and Small-scale Mining (ASM) formalization rate. | |
| XXIX. GOVERNANCE (NEW) | 171. EITI Compliance Level: Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. |
| (2025–2026 Policy | 172. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval-to-audit ratio. |
| focus) | 173. Indigenous Consent Rate (FPIC compliance). |
| 174. Mining Law Modernization Index (Alignment with circularity). | |
| 175. Anti-Corruption Audit Frequency in mining permit issuance. | |
| XXX. ENERGY TRANSITION | 176. Green Premium: Extra value of "certified" sustainable minerals. |
| (Focus on Lithium, | 177. Energy Intensity of Refining: Joules required to process raw ore. |
| Cobalt, Rare Earths) | 178. Circularity of Clean Energy Waste (Solar panel/battery recycling). |
| 179. Strategic Mineral Autonomy Score. | |
| 180. Planetary Boundary Alignment: Extraction vs. Ecological limits. |
| Group | Category No. & Description |
| XXXI. FUTURE PROJECTIONS | 181. Business-as-Usual (BAU) Gap: Difference between current extraction and 2060 projections. |
| (The 'Bend the Trend' | 182. Projected Material Footprint per unit of future GDP. |
| metrics) | 183. Estimated Secondary Material Supply Potential (Mining of future waste). |
| 184. Anticipated Supply Gap for Energy Transition Minerals. | |
| 185. Technology Change Ratio: Impact of innovation on material intensity. | |
| XXXII. EQUITY & DISTRIBUTION | 186. Inter-regional Resource Inequality Index. |
| (The 'Global North-South' | 187. Per Capita Material Footprint Ratio (High-income vs. Low-income). |
| metrics) | 188. Imported Environmental Burden: Pollution "purchased" by wealthy nations. |
| 189. Share of Global Sustainable Resource Budget (Per nation). | |
| 190. Resource-Driven Conflict Risk Score. | |
| XXXIII. CIRCULAR PERFORMANCE | 191. Product Lifetime Index: Average years materials remain in stock. |
| (Beyond simple recycling) | 192. Remanufacturing Share of Total Material Input. |
| 193. Sharing Economy Impact (Reduction in material demand per service). | |
| 194. Recyclability-at-Design Score for new mineral products. | |
| 195. Virgin-to-Secondary Price Ratio: Financial incentive for circularity. | |
| XXXIV. TOTAL SYSTEM BALANCE | 196. Global Decoupling Score: Summed absolute decoupling status. |
| (The Final Dashboard) | 197. Material-related GHG Abatement Potential. |
| 198. Net Material Stock Growth Rate (Sustainability target = 0%). | |
| 199. Total Environmental Pressure Index (TEPI): Weighted extraction impact. | |
| 200. Resource Sustainability Index (RSI): The final score for SDG 12.2. |
The UNEP Vision for 2026 and Beyond
The UNEP mineral extraction indicator system is more than just a list of tonnages; it is a sophisticated scientific framework designed to navigate the "Triple Planetary Crisis" of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. As we move into 2026, the focus has shifted from merely tracking extraction to actively "bending the trend" toward a sustainable future.
