Critical minerals are integral to our economy and the energy transition.
Critical minerals are used in everyday life for a wide variety of purposes. This includes technology in our homes such as mobile phones, laptops and LED bulbs, to green energy infrastructure such as solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries.
They are indispensable to a low-carbon economy and as a result, demand for them is estimated to increase four-fold by 2040.
We do not, however, have the current capacity to meet this demand and must scale up production, explore alternative supply chains and look at ways they can stay in life for longer.
So, what are critical minerals and what is their role in our net zero journey?