After launching the Foundation’s Critical Minerals mission at London Climate Action Week last year, and successfully establishing an action agenda to create a circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. for critical minerals, we are moving to implementation at scale.
In line with our implementation strategy, we are driving market transformation by providing the vision and thought leadership, identifying systemic barriers to change, and convening industry leaders around cross-sector projects and policy advocacy to overcome them.
The greatest critical mineral reserves are already above ground. They are in the EV batteries, electronics, technology and infrastructure we use every day. But the supply chains behind them are fragile at the very moment they need to scale.
A circular economy for critical minerals to power the energy and digital transitions is a board-level competitive strategy. The market rules for critical mineral value chains will be shaped over the next two years — companies in the room will shape them, and companies outside it will comply with them.
Do you want to influence the debate and help shape future markets? Find out more about our critical minerals mission and how to get involved, or join us at the following events this month:
14 September | Online | Innovation Forum | From mine to passport: How can the critical minerals value chain deliver what the next phase of the EU Battery Regulation requires?
16 September | India | WCEF | Circular solutions and business models in the ICT and electronics industries
18 September | India | WCEF | Second charge: Unlocking EV battery value as energy storage
22 September | Climate Week NYC | Economist Enterprise — Making the business case for circular value chains
22 September | Climate Week NYC | Sustainability Magazine — Sustainability Live: The future of sustainable supply chains
30 September | Singapore | Caixin | ANVF Innovation — What lies beneath: Critical minerals and the hidden supply chain of the green economy
At Climate Week NYC, our team is also attending closed-door events with the Carbon Trust, Clinton Foundation, Minderoo Foundation, XPRIZE and Amazon, WRI, and more, and convening our circular tech advisory board and circular electronics collaborative to accelerate our critical minerals mission.
We will join policymakers, including government ministers, at a workshop hosted by the Climate and Society Institute in Brazil, aimed at developing a circular economy pathways for critical minerals, and give a keynote at the opening of CATL’s new Ning Service for EV batteries in Norway.
Find out more about our critical minerals mission
As part of our Critical Minerals Mission, we are working to build a circular economy for critical mineral value chains that power the energy and digital transitions, maximising value while reducing reliance on virgin resource extraction over time.
