The geopolitics of zero carbon and the role of critical minerals in the energy transition

Abstract

The technological innovations that will make it possible to achieve the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE) require new raw materials, including the so-called “critical minerals” (lithium, cobalt, copper, platinum, niobium, REE-, etc.), which have been become key elements in the current economic and geopolitical scenario. In turn, the availability of these minerals is linked to natural resources - often geographically concentrated - and to the development of new technologies, which is requiring States, mining companies and technology companies to implement strategies that control their extraction and processing, and guarantee their supply chains. This paper aims to analyze this process, from the perspectives of geopolitics and sustainability, very relevant aspects for the energy transition, due to war conflicts motivated by strategic interests, and the environmental problems caused by the exploitation of these minerals, very questioned, mainly in countries that do not have specific labor and environmental legislation, and in fragile ecosystems, such as deep marine environments.