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Road to Belém Briefing No. 1: Critical Minerals for the Net-Zero Transition

ROAD TO BELÉM BRIEFING No. 1 — Critical Minerals: Strategic Context and Policy Brief. COP30 places rapid renewable deployment and electrification at centre stage, sharply increasing demand for critical minerals used in batteries, wind, solar and grids. The system remains highly concentrated: for most minerals the top three producers account for over two-thirds of global output, and in several processing segments China exceeds 80-90%, creating systemic risk. The briefing frames three questions for Belém: how to diversify supply, uphold robust ESG in extraction and processing, and integrate critical minerals into a rules-based multilateral system that supports net-zero pathways. Policy levers assessed include CBAM (from 2026) and EUDR (from 2027) and their market-access implications, alongside concrete measures: embedding cooperation in trade commitments; joint strategic reserves; co-investment; transparency and digital traceability; and joint R&D on refining, recycling and substitution.

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