// SUSTAINABILITY: CRITICAL MINERALS
A critical minerals framework for a fair and just transition
C ritical minerals are high on the agenda of South Africa’s G20 pres- idency. A draft Critical Minerals Framework sets a plan for investing in exploration; beneficiation at source, that is, improving the raw materials for smelting; and responsible mining and mineral sourcing. By endorsing the Framework at November’s Johannesburg Summit, G20 members could diver- sify supply chains and secure minerals needed for the energy transition. This could help to level the global playing field for resource-rich countries of the Global South and for mining-led econo- mies such as Australia and Canada. Renewable energy and electric vehicle battery technologies need critical and strategic minerals to meet the green- house gas emissions targets set out in the Paris Agreement. The energy tran- sition demands significant investment – by some estimates $44 trillion by 2030. These investments are needed in new technologies, projects, people and infrastructure. In addition, major invest- ments will also be needed in mining, refining and smelting key commodities – to the tune of an additional $300–400 billion per year over the next five years. A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO RESHAPE CRITICAL MINERALS GOVERNANCE The G20 brings together the world’s major buyers and producers of critical minerals. China, the United States and the European Union are driving geo political competition for critical miner- als. Japan, Korea and India also source critical minerals for their industries through bilateral trade agreements. Conflict can disrupt supply chains for minerals concentrated in only a few countries, such as the Democratic
Critical minerals are essential for the global energy transition, but the race to secure them risks deepening inequality and environmental harm. A G20 Critical Minerals Framework could redefine global standards, prioritising people and planet
Kathryn Sturman, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland
$ 44 tn Estimated investment needed by 2030 for the energy transition
102 // G20 SOUTH AFRICA: THE JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT 2025
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