Critical minerals and resources

Minerals are described as ‘critical’ if they are considered to have a role in a country’s strategically important economic sectors. Some critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper and lithium are essential components in the transition to a green economy due to their use in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles, for example. However, the increased extraction of these minerals can cause major environmental damage. 

Our work in this area focuses on the central role that several critical raw materials, including certain minerals, will play in expanding the deployment of low-carbon technologies to support the transition to net zero.