Policy makers set out a range of initiatives with the buzzwords ‘natural resources’, ‘raw materials’, ‘resource efficiency’, and ‘sustainable management’ of natural resources and raw materials. An analysis of the practice highlights that there are quite different interpretations of the terminology used. In this contribution, we bring proposals for coherent definitions of ‘natural resources’ and ‘raw materials’, a systematized framework for ‘resource efficiency indicators’ and a holistic set of sustainability concerns to understand the coverage and positioning of assessment methods for ‘sustainable management’ of raw materials production and supply.