Critical Minerals: The New Geopolitical Battleground for Energy Transition
Energy
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CNBC TV18•29-01-2026, 17:26
Critical Minerals: The New Geopolitical Battleground for Energy Transition
- •Economic Survey 2026 warns that critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and copper are strategic chokepoints for energy security and geopolitical power.
- •China's near-monopoly on rare-earth processing and other critical minerals gives it significant leverage in global trade, as seen in its tussle with the US.
- •Copper demand, driven by renewable energy and AI data centers, risks outpacing supply due to mine outages and increasing material intensity for green technologies.
- •Advanced economies are developing standards-based markets and alternative supply chains to reduce reliance on single sources, with the US investing heavily in domestic capacity and partnerships.
- •Developing countries face challenges including high compliance costs, being locked into low-value supply chain segments, and affordability issues due to sustainability premiums.
Why It Matters: Control over critical minerals is crucial for the global energy transition, shaping geopolitics and economic power.
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