The Business Times
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Critical minerals rise up global economic and political agenda

Potential disruptions along the value chain would undermine key goals, including economic and climate

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    • Soil containing rare earth elements at a port in Jiangsu province, China. European and wider countries do not want to mirror over-reliance on other nations for other natural resources, especially critical minerals.
    • Soil containing rare earth elements at a port in Jiangsu province, China. European and wider countries do not want to mirror over-reliance on other nations for other natural resources, especially critical minerals. PHOTO: REUTERS

    Andrew Hammond

    Published Tue, May 20, 2025 · 07:00 AM

    RUSSIA’S 2022 invasion of Ukraine helped trigger a major energy shock in Europe. However, one of the longer-term political and economic impacts of that continuing conflict has been to focus attention on global supply chains for wider natural resources, including critical minerals.

    The importance of this agenda will be showcased on Wednesday (May 21) in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2025 Global Critical Minerals Outlook report. This will provide assessments of the latest market and investment trends, along with their implications for critical mineral security, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, graphite and rare earths.

    The study will also explore key issues such as mineral supply chains for emerging battery technologies; innovations in mining, refining and recycling; policy mechanisms to support diversification; and strategic minerals for applications beyond the energy sector. Moreover, it includes a comprehensive review of regional mineral markets and policy developments.

    MineralsRare earth metals

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