Decarbonisation Technology November 2025 Issue

Securing the minerals that power the energy transition A review of the measures that can translate governance frameworks and innovative practices into concrete steps to safeguard mineral supply chains

Shqipe Neziri Vela and Sebastian Sahla

T he global energy transition is, in large part, a transition in minerals. Low- carbon technologies, ranging from lithium-ion batteries to wind turbines and electric drivetrains, rely on a broad array of critical mineral inputs, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, as highlighted in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s (EITI) Mission Critical report. That dependence is not a technical footnote; it is a strategic constraint. Demand trajectories for these materials are steep, processing is geographically concentrated, and the political, environmental, and social risks embedded in extraction and refining are real and immediate. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has repeatedly warned that clean energy deployment must be matched by resilient, diversified, and transparent mineral supply chains if net-zero goals are to remain credible (IEA, 2023) . Similarly, post-combustion and oxy-combustion technologies, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while generating energy, are part of broader decarbonisation strategies. However, their material footprint further underscores the reliance on concentrated mineral inputs (Finney et al., 2018) . Resource security matters for climate policy. It is not enough to design elegant decarbonisation roadmaps; governments and firms must secure the inputs that make those roadmaps possible. Without trustworthy supply chains, the transition risks being slowed by bottlenecks, price shocks, and reputational crises, or, worse, reproducing existing patterns

of exploitation and environmental harm in new geographies. That outcome would undercut both the social licence for the energy transition and its moral authority. Fortunately, internationally recognised standards, notably the EITI Standard and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains, provide practical architectures for transparency, risk management, and stakeholder accountability. The EITI promotes open reporting on contracts, ownership, and revenues in the extractive sector, while the OECD Guidance “ The IEA has repeatedly warned that clean energy deployment must be matched by resilient, diversified, and transparent mineral supply chains if net-zero goals are to remain credible ” sets out company-level due diligence steps for identifying and managing human rights, corruption, and conflict risks throughout mineral supply chains (EITI, 2023; OECD, 2016) . Integrating such frameworks into national policy and corporate practice helps safeguard supply chains, making the energy transition more reliable and just. This article examines supply chain risks, governance frameworks, climate-smart mining, and innovative solutions, proposing policy and business actions, from scaling recycling and substitution to enforcing traceability and responsible mining practices that, together, can secure a cleaner, fairer, and more resilient mineral base for low-carbon technologies.