Towards a New Green World | Critical minerals

November 07, 2025

This is the second paper in a series of three by CSE addressing questions of trade and development for the Global South in the new green economy, titled Towards a New Green World.

The interlinkages between trade, climate change and development are apparent today. This paper delves into the question at the heart of this discourse: how can developing countries climb up the global critical minerals value chain? By focusing on the critical minerals necessary for catalysing the clean energy transition and global decarbonization, this paper examines the present landscape of critical mineral use and trade, and the relationship between resource endowments and revenues. It also explores strategic partnerships that are attempting to break the stronghold of China on several critical minerals, and highlights emerging South–South efforts in this vein as well. Finally, the paper presents a snapshot of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the critical minerals policies and strategic plans of select developing countries, and a list of principles and recommendations for paving the way forward through centring equity and justice for the Global South in the climate-trade-development nexus.

Contact: 

Sehr Raheja
sehr.raheja@cseindia.org