Critical Minerals

Market Assessment on Critical Minerals Innovation in Developing Countries

CCSI has developed a market assessment to strategically evaluate technological innovation in critical mineral value chains in developing countries. The assessment focuses on the midstream (processing and refining) and downstream segments (manufacturing, extraction from secondary sources, and end-of-life treatment). It navigates the nexus of stakeholders, policies, initiatives, financial mechanisms, technologies, and SDG impacts. Starting from an analysis of 30 countries, deep-dives were conducted in three from each developing region: Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia in Africa; India, Indonesia, and Türkiye in Asia and the Pacific; and Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study was developed in partnership with Columbia Engineering, commissioned by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)'s Accelerate-to-Demonstrate (A2D) Facility, and funded by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Roadmap to Zero-Carbon Electrification of Africa by 2050:
The Green Energy Transition and the Role of the Natural Resource Sector (Minerals, Fossil Fuels, and Land)

All Africans—whether living in urban or rural areas—need access to affordable, clean, efficient, reliable, climate-proof, and renewable energy for both residential and productive uses to achieve sustainable development objectives. This report sets out a comprehensive and actionable roadmap for Africa’s zero-carbon energy transformation by 2050, with most advances achieved by 2030. Natural resource management in minerals, fossil fuels, and land sits at the core of the strategy.

Net Zero Roadmap for Copper and Nickel

This report, the Net Zero Roadmap for Copper and Nickel Mining (herein referred to as the "Roadmap"), builds on current industry knowledge and sets out a science-based net zero transition strategy for copper and nickel mining value chains. The Roadmap can be used by copper and nickel mining value chain actors to guide their net zero transition. It sets out clear actions to facilitate a successful net zero transition, with proposed achievement waypoints in the lead-up to 2050. It also considers broader ecosystem actions, such as management of ESG impacts, enabling a just transition to net zero mining, overcoming policy challenges, and securing access to sustainable finance, all of which are essential to support the transition to net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Don't Throw Caution to the Wind: In the Green Energy Transition, Not All Critical Minerals Will Be Goldmines

The green energy transition will be exceedingly mineral-intensive. Scaling up the manufacturing of wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, and batteries to power cleaner technologies is set to generate an exponential increase in the demand for so-called "critical" minerals and metals. While seeking to optimize the value of green energy mineral reserves, governments—as well as international actors and mining advocates—should heed caution when pursuing and promoting the mining of critical minerals. These projected development opportunities rest on bullish forecasts and uncertain terrain. Caution is therefore necessary to avoid creating expectations that, in many cases, will not be met, or over-investing in production that may outstrip demand and lead to minimal benefits for many countries.

Resourcing Green Technologies through Smart Mineral Enterprise Development: A Case Analysis of Cobalt

Much has been written in recent years about the urgency to develop new technologies that meet ambitious targets for more efficient energy infrastructure with reduced reliance on fossil fuels. There has also been growing recognition that mineral scarcity can hamper the speed of key technologies being developed. In this report, we argue that a neglected area in addressing the mineral scarcity challenge is the private sector’s current trajectory for geological mineral exploration of key minerals and innovative initiatives on material efficiency and recycling where possible. We term this approach Smart Mineral Enterprise Development (SMED), which entails a partnership between public and private entities to consider pathways whereby public sector data sharing on geology can be coupled with research innovations in the private sector both upstream and downstream of mineral supply. Just as smart energy grids harness efficiencies in electricity supply and demand through a dynamic process of communication, SMED processes can do the same for key technological bottlenecks in mineral supply. We focus on cobalt to highlight the bottlenecks; identify alternative supply sources based on current exploration and recycling technologies; propose ways in which the international legal framework could be adapted to promote investments in critical minerals; and consider ways by which the public sector can assist the private sector in developing a SMED process that would bring forth more efficient and effective entrepreneurial activity to meet our green technology needs.

The Renewable Power of the Mine: Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration

Just as it is central to the development challenge, energy is central to the growth and success of the mining sector. As this report highlights, the global transition toward net-zero emission energy systems will increase mineral demand, as certain minerals are key inputs for renewable energy technologies and electrified transport systems. This will drive increased electricity demand by the mining sector, further accelerated by automation and electrification of mines. Three messages from this report stand out. First, there is a tremendous and urgent opportunity for the industry to assume its responsibilities under the SDG framework, to mitigate its contributions to climate change, particularly in light of the various pressures that will lead to higher energy demand by the sector. Second, the sector has a great opportunity to contribute to the accessibility of clean, modern energy through various energy sourcing and sale arrangements. And third, the transformation needed will require the collaboration of a range of actors, including governments, independent power producers, DFIs, and utilities.

Circularity in Mineral and Renewable Energy Value Chains: Overview of Technology, Policy, and Finance Aspects

The global transition to renewable energy systems will be mineral-intensive and, under current conditions, will exacerbate mining’s footprint on the planet. In addition, the material needs of a growing global population whose lives are increasingly digitized will further increase mineral demand. The success of the mining and metals sector in the coming decades will depend on its ability to meet those needs sustainably through a combination of responsible primary extraction and the adoption of circular economy approaches throughout the mineral and renewable energy value chains, ensuring that inherently durable materials never become waste. The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), supported by ICMM and the Enel Foundation, researched the conditions needed for mining companies to become stronger on process circularity and start embracing product circularity in their business models.