MINING THE FUTURE

Critical minerals are no longer the obscure footnotes of geology—they have become the very foundation of the twenty-first century's industrial, technological, and geopolitical order.

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These minerals power the batteries that drive electric vehicles, the magnets inside wind turbines, and the circuitry that sustains smartphones, satellites, and artificial intelligence systems. In short, they are the backbone of the global clean-energy transition. For Australia, a nation richly endowed with lithium, cobalt, tungsten, vanadium, and rare earths, this presents both a remarkable opportunity and a complex challenge. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’ recent visit to Washington, where he met President Donald Trump to discuss critical-mineral collaboration, signalled how central this issue has become to global diplomacy. China, which refines about 90 per cent of the world’s rare-earth elements, has once again tightened export controls—prompting widespread concern among nations seeking supply-chain security. This moment has crystallised anew kind of global competition—one not over land or oil, but over the elements that will determine the world’s technological and economic future. For Australia, this is a strategic inflexion point: it can either remain a supplier of raw ores or rise as a trusted democratic partner shaping the global clean-tech revolution. The stakes go beyond trade—they touch on sovereignty, sustainability, and the future of global power.