Critical minerals for the world – or just for the US? Turning Australia into a green minerals powerhouse comes with risks

Zhang, M; Gann, D; Dodgson, M

Critical minerals for the world – or just for the US? Turning Australia into a green minerals powerhouse comes with risks

Zhang, M

Gann, D Dodgson, M

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Publisher:: The Conversation
Publication Type:: Scholarly Edition
Citation:: 2024
Issue Date:: 2024-05-23

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9957-050X
dc.contributor.author	Gann, D
dc.contributor.author	Dodgson, M
dc.date.accessioned	2024-09-23T12:33:55Z
dc.date.available	2024-09-23T12:33:55Z
dc.date.issued	2024-05-23
dc.identifier.citation	2024
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/180928
dc.description.abstract	Globalisation is on shaky ground. As China rises, the United States and its allies are moving to reduce their reliance on the world’s factory. The rivalry between the US and China is wide-ranging, from competition in technology over silicon chips and artificial intelligence to the critical minerals essential for green energy technologies such as grid batteries, wind turbines and electric vehicles. At present, China dominates critical minerals. Beijing has secured supplies of rare earth elements and lithium, which have enabled it to take the lead in many green tech sectors, from solar to EVs. This has heightened geopolitical volatility. But it also offers Australia a new pathway to export success – as well as fresh risks. A key part of the government’s flagship Future Made in Australia Act is an effort to fast-track mining of critical minerals – elements such as cobalt and lithium essential to the green energy transition. That’s great. But who will buy them? If tensions between the US and China force us to pick a side, we might not be able to export our wealth of critical minerals to China, our largest customer.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	The Conversation
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Critical minerals for the world – or just for the US? Turning Australia into a green minerals powerhouse comes with risks
dc.type	Scholarly Edition
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (International)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (International)/Australia-China Relations Institute
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2024-09-23T12:33:50Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Globalisation is on shaky ground. As China rises, the United States and its allies are moving to reduce their reliance on the world’s factory. The rivalry between the US and China is wide-ranging, from competition in technology over silicon chips and artificial intelligence to the critical minerals essential for green energy technologies such as grid batteries, wind turbines and electric vehicles. At present, China dominates critical minerals. Beijing has secured supplies of rare earth elements and lithium, which have enabled it to take the lead in many green tech sectors, from solar to EVs. This has heightened geopolitical volatility. But it also offers Australia a new pathway to export success – as well as fresh risks. A key part of the government’s flagship Future Made in Australia Act is an effort to fast-track mining of critical minerals – elements such as cobalt and lithium essential to the green energy transition. That’s great. But who will buy them? If tensions between the US and China force us to pick a side, we might not be able to export our wealth of critical minerals to China, our largest customer.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/180928