TESS and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have mobilized an international expert group to explore cooperation pathways on trade and critical energy transition minerals in pursuit of shared climate, sustainability, and development goals.
Overview
International cooperation on trade will play a central role in shaping how critical minerals contribute to a just clean energy transition and sustainable development. As demand for critical minerals grows, governments face a range of challenges related to supply chain resilience, development priorities, environmental sustainability, and economic security. To support informed analysis and inclusive dialogue on these issues, TESS and UNCTAD have convened an International Expert Group on Trade, Critical Minerals, and the Clean Energy Transition.
Purpose and Rationale
Critical minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite, and rare earth elements, are essential inputs for many clean energy technologies, including renewable energy systems, batteries, electric vehicles, and electricity networks. As deployment of these technologies accelerates, demand for critical minerals is projected to grow significantly in the coming decades.
While resource-dependent governments are pursuing a range of strategies to secure access to critical minerals and strengthen supply chain resilience, resource-endowed countries are seeking to use the growing demand for critical minerals to support economic diversification, green industrialization, local value addition, and participation in clean energy value chains. Alongside, concerns have grown regarding environmental and social impacts, supply chain concentration, geopolitical tensions, and the proliferation of trade-related measures affecting critical minerals and related technologies.
While a range of international initiatives are addressing different aspects of the critical minerals agenda, the trade dimension is often discussed separately from broader development, sustainability, security, and circularity considerations. Greater dialogue and shared understanding are needed to explore how trade cooperation can support climate, development, and sustainability objectives while helping to manage tensions and competing priorities across producer and consumer countries.
As a contribution, TESS and UNCTAD have convened an International Expert Group on Trade, Critical Minerals, and the Clean Energy Transition. The group brings together approximately 25 experts from academia, think tanks, intergovernmental organizations, and stakeholder organizations representing diverse regional perspectives and areas of expertise.
The aim of the expert group is to identify and articulate trade cooperation pathways for critical minerals in support of the clean energy transition and sustainable development priorities. The group will examine issues at the intersection of trade, critical minerals, climate change, development, sustainability, and circular economy objectives.
While the expert group will operate as an independent initiative convened by TESS and UNCTAD, its outputs are intended to stimulate and inform discussions under relevant international debates on critical minerals, including the United Nations Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
Meetings
Participating Experts
The International Expert Group on Trade, Critical Minerals, and the Clean Energy Transition is comprised of trade, climate, and mineral policy experts from academia, think tanks, intergovernmental organizations, and stakeholder organizations representing diverse regional perspectives and areas of expertise, all of whom are participating in their personal capacities.
- Jerry Kwame AHADJIE (African Development Bank)
- Jean-Bertrand AZAPMO (African Union)
- Julian CLARKE, Fabio ARTUSO, and Sven CALLEBAUT (Asian Development Bank)
- Silvia COSSA (Global Renewables Alliance)
- Henry GAO (Singapore Management University)
- Poorva KARKARE (European Centre for Development Policy Management)
- Marit Y. KITAW (UN Economic Commission for Africa)
- Soledad MILLS (TDI Sustainability)
- Tom MOERENHOUT (Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs)
- Johann MULDER (UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean)
- Anis NASSAR (World Economic Forum)
- Dandy RAFITRANDI (Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia)
- Reza RAHMADITIO (World Resources Institute Indonesia)
- Sunayana SASMAL (University of Sussex)
- Elisa TONDA and Beatriz FERNANDEZ (UN Environment Programme)
- Harry WARDANA (Institute for International Trade, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Trade and Environment, Adelaide University)
- Matthew WITTENSTEIN (UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)
- Harikrishnan TULSIDAS (UN Economic Commission for Europe)
- Weihuan ZHOU (University of New South Wales Law & Justice)
Convenors
- Christophe BELLMANN and Carolyn DEERE BIRKBECK (TESS)
- Clovis FREIRE and Luz Maria de la MORA (UNCTAD)
