Securing the Minerals of the Transition: Building Resilient Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Demand for critical minerals is rising sharply as clean-energy systems, electrification and AI infrastructure expand. The IEA estimates that more than USD 750 billion of investment in mining and refining will be needed through 2040. Mining and processing remain concentrated in a limited number of markets, while resource-holding countries increasingly seek to capture more value through downstream processing rather than exporting raw material. New mines can take close to a decade to develop, making supply resilience a long-term strategic issue rather than a short-term procurement decision. That means overseas equity in assets, processing capacity closer to demand, recycling at meaningful scale, and partnerships that give producing economies industrial development alongside supply security for buyers. The discussion will focus on what will enable this across diversified sourcing, domestic processing, recycling and partnerships between producers and buyers.