• Commentary

        • 27 Jan 2026

        Designing an effective strategic stockpiling system for critical minerals

        …energy, automotive, defence, aerospace, AI and semiconductors. Earlier export controls introduced in April had already resulted in some automotive factories around the world being forced to cut utilisation rates or even temporarily shut down.Beyond rare earths, export controls have also been imposed on a range of strategic minerals including gallium, germanium, graphite and tungsten, which play a crucial role in strategic applications such as semiconductors, batteries, aerospace and defence. The Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 highlighted that China is the leading refiner for 19 out of the 20 strategic minerals closely tracked by the IEA, with an average market…

        • Country

        Korea

        …a strong dependence on energy imports and one of the highest shares of industrial energy use among IEA countries. Korea aims to leverage the fourth industrial revolution for its energy transition and to foster green growth by means of low-carbon technologies and clean energy. Due to Korea’s high share of coal-fired power generation, the carbon intensity of its electricity mix is above the IEA average. Korea’s private sector has a high capacity for technology innovation and its population has shown an almost unparalleled openness toward digitalisation. As a result, Korea’s energy transition is closely linked…

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        • Commentary

        • 04 Feb 2026

        Canada is set to play a leading role in supplying the world with responsibly produced critical minerals

        …diversified and competitive global supply chains for critical minerals.Canada can serve as a major supplier of key critical minerals. It has abundant reserves of many of the critical minerals necessary for energy technologies; a well-developed, stable regulatory framework, including strong environmental, social and governance standards; and it is investing throughout the value chain, from midstream refining and processing to downstream manufacturing sectors. This sets Canada apart from many other countries, which typically have only part of the critical minerals value chain within their jurisdictions. Access to low-emissions energy sources such as hydro and nuclear power can also…

        • Country

        Lithuania

        …has undergone several energy transitions over the past decade. Despite importing a large share of its electricity, the country successfully ended its reliance on Russian energy imports in March 2022. Along with its neighbours, Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania disconnected from the Russian electricity system and completed the synchronisation of its grid with the Continental European Synchronous Area (CESA) in February 2025. By 2030, Lithuania aims to shift from being an electricity importer to becoming a net exporter. Although the country’s energy consumption still depends heavily on imported fossil fuels, the share of bioenergy in the domestic energy supply is…

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        • Country

        Pakistan

        In Pakistan, most of the primary energy supply comes from oil and natural gas. Hydropower is the main renewable source of energy in the country but wind and solar PV’s shares are slowly growing. More than 40 million people remain without access to electricity and half the population lack access to clean cooking facilities.

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        • Country

        Cote D’Ivoire

        Most of Cote d'Ivoire's primary energy demand is covered by local oil refinery supplies and domestic gas production. Almost 60% of the population had access to electricity in the country in 2017, a 10-percentage point’s increase from 2015.

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        • Country

        Spain

        …the energy transition due to its energy and climate change policies. The current Spanish framework for energy and climate is based on the 2050 objectives of national climate neutrality, 100% renewable energy in the electricity mix and 97% renewable energy in the total energy mix. As such, it is centred on the massive development of renewable energy, particularly solar, wind and renewable hydrogen, increasing energy efficiency and improving electrification. This is an opportunity for the country to not only stimulate the economy and by creating jobs through the modernisation of industry, but also to support vulnerable populations, improve energy security…

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        • Country

        Eritrea

        Less than half of the population of Eritrea has access to electricity. Most of the country's electricity generation comes from imported oil.

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        • Country

        Myanmar

        In Myanmar, a steep increase in the share of gas-fired power generation reflects a push to take advantage of its abundant domestic resources. The country however has ample scope to rely on renewables in its electrification strategy.

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        • Topic

        Artificial Intelligence

        …today. While this is still a relatively small portion of the global total, the effects are poised to be particularly strong in some countries. For example, in the United States, data centres are on course to account for almost half of the growth in electricity demand to 2030; in Japan, more than half; and in Malaysia, as much as one-fifth.A diverse range of energy sources will be tapped to meet data centres’ rising electricity needs globally – though renewables and natural gas are currently set to take the lead due to their cost-competitiveness and availability in key markets…

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