Implications of the energy transition on sustainable critical minerals development : aligning extractive industries with the sustainable development goals

Transitioning towards a clean energy future is a mainstay of the global efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement’s climate goals. The energy transition implies a shift form a fuel-intensive system to a material-intensive energy system, and will create significant demand for critical raw materials (CRM), including critical minerals, because the technologies underpinning low-carbon energy systems, such as wind, solar PV and batteries, are more minerals-intensive than fossil fuel-based technologies. This report examines the implications of the energy transition on SDGs for countries that currently or could potentially extract and export critical minerals. It presents the potential implications of the energy transition on critical mineral development in replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources by extension increases, dependence on mineral resources. As the transition towards a clean energy future deepens, a fundamental change in the demand for extractive products, away from fossil fuel and fuel and towards mineral resources, will take place. It also discusses the opportunities and challenges that the sustainable development of CRMs will face during the energy transition and examines the energy transition and critical mineral development in Asia-Pacific countries.