The geopolitics of world natural resources is influenced by all of the following factors except?

Correct option is D

Introduction
The geopolitics of natural resources refers to the intersection of geography, power, and foreign policy as they relate to resource access, distribution, and control.

It is driven by scarcity, trade dependency, and strategic competition.

The factor that would eliminate geopolitical influence is Complete self-sufficiency of all nations in resource production. 

Information Booster

Complete self-sufficiency of all nations in resource production

• ​This scenario is hypothetical and unrealistic.
• If all nations were completely self-sufficient, there would be no international competition, trade dependency, or strategic vulnerability concerning resources.
• Since geopolitics arises from interdependence and competition over resources, complete self-sufficiency would eliminate the very foundation of resource geopolitics.

Unequal distribution of resources across regions

• ​This is the primary driver of resource geopolitics.
• It creates dependency (importers needing exporters), leading to trade agreements, strategic alliances, and potential conflict over resource-rich areas (e.g., oil in the Middle East).

Technological advancements in resource extraction 

• ​This changes the geopolitics by making previously inaccessible resources available (e.g., hydraulic fracturing/fracking making the US a major natural gas exporter).
• It shifts global power balances and trade dynamics.

Climate change policies

• ​These policies fundamentally alter the demand for certain resources (e.g., decreasing demand for coal/oil, increasing demand for rare earth minerals for batteries).
• This shift creates new geopolitical competition over the minerals needed for the energy transition.

Additional Knowledge

• The reality of resource geopolitics is defined by resource nationalism, where countries control and prioritize their own resources, and the vulnerability of choke points (like the Strait of Hormuz) through which vital resources are transported globally.
• The core conflict of resource geopolitics is the tension between the localized nature of resources and the global demand for them.