Critical minerals supply chains: Key briefing 2025

How can circularity, financing and collaboration reshape the future of critical minerals supply chains?

Critical minerals supply chains are at a critical juncture. Demand for key minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths is set to triple by 2030, and quadruple by 2040. However, supply gaps and geopolitical instability threaten to derail growth.

As global uncertainty and emerging regulations reshape the critical minerals landscape, it’s clear that collaboration across the supply chain is needed to meet surging demand, while upholding high standards of social and environmental sustainability.

In line with our annual Critical Minerals Innovation Forum, this key briefing discusses the potential for circular economy practices in the critical minerals supply chain, focusing on how mining companies such as Vale Base Metals, can recover value from waste materials and develop sustainable business models.

"Psychologically, you need to shift the way you think about your business. Once you do that, then you go into some technical challenges and some commercial challenges."

Christian Spano

Director, Circularity

Vale Base Metals

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Ian Welsh

Co-founder and Chair

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