Towards a Global South Framework for Critical Minerals

The global energy transition—driven by the urgency of addressing climate change—is reshaping productive structures and technological systems worldwide. The growing adoption of renewable energy, electromobility, and energy storage technologies is fueling unprecedented demand for minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earths. These so-called “critical minerals,” essential for manufacturing batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels, have become indispensable to sustaining the shift toward cleaner and more sustainable energy systems.

As a result, critical minerals now sit at the heart of industrial, technological, and geopolitical agendas. Their production is highly concentrated in a handful of countries, while concerns over future scarcity have underscored the importance of building resilient and diversified supply chains. This dynamic has drawn the attention of governments, companies, and international organizations—and poses both challenges and opportunities for developing economies, many of which hold significant reserves.

For these countries, critical minerals offer more than an opportunity to integrate into strategic markets. They raise fundamental questions about the terms of integration: under what conditions can resource wealth generate added value, support local development, and avoid new forms of dependency?

This research project seeks to contribute to existing knowledge and debate on critical minerals in the energy transition by examining the policy instruments and governance arrangements adopted by countries across these value chains.