The focus: critical minerals and the G20 challenges!
The focus: critical minerals and the G20 challenges!
The discussion about critical minerals is becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of technologies that shape our modern life. Today, 30% of the worldwide critical minerals come from Africa, such as iss africa These minerals are not only crucial for the production of smartphones, electric cars and wind turbines, but also for the developing technologies that will shape our future.
For the South African government, access to these minerals is the top priority this year during its G20 presidency. A central discussion point at the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November will be the strategic importance of these resources. Critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, Coltan, lithium and silicon are already in great demand. Coltan is used in cell phones and computers, while lithium batteries drive the electric vehicles of the future.
a geopolitical chess game
The geopolitical implications should not be underestimated. China controls 35% of the known occurrence of critical minerals and over 80% of the processing capacities less often. This dominance was reinforced by the closure of mines in Europe and America. It is worth noting that China throttled the delivery of rare earth to Japan in 2010, which illustrates the geopolitical tensions that bring these dependencies, such as
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the situation is precarious: 70% of the global cobalt reserves are located here, and dismantling is often associated with child labor and armed conflicts. Chinese companies also have a large proportion of cobalt production there. These circumstances raise decisive questions regarding ethical and political responsibility in the supply chain.
sustainability and technological progress
With global energy transition and digitization, the requirements for stable supply chains for critical minerals increase. Forecasts assume that the need for critical metals could increase four times by 2040, according to renovable Verdes . This prompted governments and international alliances to develop strategies in order to reduce the dependence on countries like China.
The EU plans to cover at least 40% of the funding and 25% of the processing of critical minerals by 2030. These efforts are crucial to increase competitiveness and defuse political tensions. Companies such as ACS also invest in new energy infrastructure to ensure access to these resources and to strengthen domestic production.
The connection between the technology and the mineral industry is becoming increasingly narrower. The use of AI to identify new minerals, as Kobold Metals practices it, is only an example of how technology can help use resources more effectively. Digital security in the mining industry remains an important topic to prevent cyber attacks and to maintain the integrity of the supply chains.
In view of these developments, it is hoped that Africa will receive a stronger voice in negotiations on access to critical minerals. The idea of linking deals with the structure of IT infrastructure could promote both technological and economic progress. President Cyril Ramaphosa supports an “additive” relationship to help the region develop its own value chains and to have a positive effect on geopolitics.It is clear that critical minerals are far more than just raw materials - they are the key to a sustainable and technologically advanced future.
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| Ort | Johannesburg, Südafrika |
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