IEA Summit on Critical Minerals & Clean Energy
An international meeting of high-level officials will convene to discuss issues surrounding the supply and sustainability of critical minerals. The meeting will include ministers from mineral-producing and consuming economies, as well as industry representatives, investors, and members of civil society.
Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), announced that the organisation will host its inaugural international summit on critical minerals and their significance in facilitating clean energy transitions. The summit will take place in Paris on September 28, 2023.
During the IEA Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit, the main focus will be devising strategies to ensure the secure, sustainable, and responsible supply of critical minerals.
These minerals play a critical role in promoting clean energy transitions globally. The summit will bring together ministers from countries within and beyond the IEA family, including large mineral producers and consumers. Additionally, the summit will host business leaders, investors, heads of international organisations, and representatives from civil society.
Several high-level officials and industry leaders have already confirmed their participation or expressed their intent to attend the IEA Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit. Among them are ministers from Belgium, Canada, Chile, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, and Poland, as well as the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy and the European Commissioner for the Internal Market.
The CEOs of BHP, Glencore, London Metal Exchange, and Umicore will also be in attendance. Participants will engage in knowledge sharing, identify challenges related to critical mineral supplies, and discuss effective strategies to facilitate a rapid and secure transition towards clean energy.
Dr. Birol, the Executive Director of the IEA, stated that as the global authority on energy, the IEA bears the primary responsibility for ensuring secure and sustainable supplies of critical minerals. Effectively managing these resources is vital to transforming energy and climate objectives into practical solutions and clean energy initiatives in real-world settings.
Dr. Birol stressed the urgent need to convene governments, industry leaders, investors, and other stakeholders to address critical questions that will significantly affect the future of energy security and the world's endeavours to achieve net-zero emissions.
The IEA Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit is the result of a Ministerial mandate given to the IEA by its member governments last year to intensify its focus on critical minerals. The IEA has launched new work streams, building on the insights from its groundbreaking report titled "The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions," to enhance the transparency and security of critical mineral supplies. Moreover, the G7 Climate, Energy, and Environment Ministers have requested the IEA's assistance in the area of critical minerals.
Source: International Energy Agency
