IEA and India Forge Partnership to Tackle Critical Minerals Waste

Key Figures Unite in Response to Growing Mineral Demand

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on November 13 by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and Indian Ministry of Mines Secretary Shri V.L. Kantha Rao at a workshop focused on the recycling of critical minerals. India’s Minister for Coal and Mines, Kishan Reddy, also attended the event.

As demand for critical minerals rises alongside fluctuating prices and geopolitical uncertainties, ensuring security in supply has become a priority for policy makers globally, according to the IEA.

The IEA is ramping up its emphasis on critical minerals analysis. This month, the agency plans to release a special report titled World Energy Outlook, which will explore the significance of recycling critical minerals and the new business models emerging from practices like urban mining. Urban mining involves retrieving valuable resources from electronic waste and old appliances.

This upcoming report builds on the IEA’s earlier publication, Global Critical Minerals Outlook, which came out earlier this year.