Bridging Agendas: Aligning Africa’s Industrial Ambitions with Global Green Energy Transitions through Strategic Trade in Critical Minerals

Various critical minerals are vital components of renewable energy technologies such as electric vehicles and solar panels. This is because critical minerals play a central role in the green transition as key inputs into green products that are at the center of the green transition. Supplies of critical minerals are unevenly distributed worldwide, creating a complex geopolitical landscape. Africa’s vast reserves of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements place the continent at the heart of the green energy transition, sustainable development, and international trade negotiations.

Recent years have witnessed a surge in protectionist measures on the part of countries possessing these critical resources. The WTO dispute on Indonesia – Raw Materials underscores a broader trend where countries rich in critical minerals are re-evaluating their export strategies to maximize economic benefits and meet domestic industrialization goals.  In this regard, Africa faces both opportunities and challenges. While abundant critical minerals offer a chance to fuel economic growth, development and diversification, there is increasing pressure from developed nations to acquire these minerals in their raw form in order to nurture their own green energy projects. This tension raises questions about sovereignty over natural resources, the right to industrial development, and obligations under international trade law. Trade measures that African nations might use to nurture domestic value-added , such as export restrictions, tariffs, and beneficiation requirements mandating local processing before export, could conflict with WTO regulations, as seen in the Indonesian case. At the same time, challenges relating to resource management and infrastructure can impede industrialisation objectives.

This session will explore and articulate strategies that can harmonize the potentially conflicting objectives of African industrialization and the global green energy transition. The panel will bring together renowned experts who will discuss the interests of developing resource-rich countries, opportunities for them to leverage their assets in the energy transition, and the space offered by WTO law to pursue development in this regard.

Register now for this exciting webinar: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpc-CurjksHddcDAY7hmtG68XaI-e9zKzP