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Polar prize? The realities of developing Greenland’s rare earth potential
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Report summary
Greenland has become a focus for global conversations in January 2026 amid desires by Donald Trump to ‘acquire’ the island. Greenland is of interest to the US for several strategic reasons, including its location between the US and Russia and as its resources of oil and critical raw materials. Within discussion of Greenland’s mineral potential recent discourse has centred on Greenland’s potential rare earth supply. The territory is estimated to rank eighth in the world for rare earth reserves but has no active mines. As geopolitical interest intensifies, we examine the territory's mineral potential, why deposits remain undeveloped, and whether political change could unlock commercial development.
Table of contents
- What is Greenland’s rare earth potential?
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Why do Greenland’s rare earth deposits remain undeveloped?
- Geographical challenges
- ESG challenges
- Geopolitical challenges
- Could a change in administration unlock Greenland’s rare earths?
Tables and charts
This report includes the following images and tables:
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Element distribution for Greenland projects and selected global producers showing relative heavy rare earth enrichment at TanbreezMap of rare earth deposits and proposed mine sites in Greenland
What's included
This report contains:
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