This roundtable, co-hosted by UNEP, UN Trade & Development, and the Forum on Trade, Environment, and the SDGs (TESS), will be held on July 12th in Geneva, Switzerland. It aims to identify issues at the nexus of trade in critical minerals, climate action, and sustainable development and explore possible approaches and pathways for enhanced international cooperation.
This roundtable will bring together leading experts from international organizations and think tanks, governments, and stakeholder organisations to discuss issues at the nexus of trade in critical minerals, climate action, and sustainable development, and to explore possible approaches and pathways for enhanced international cooperation. It will:
- Review the role of critical minerals in climate action, the implications for trade, and the opportunities and risks from developing country perspectives.
- Examine trade-related initiatives and policy developments on critical materials and their implications for global supply chains as well as the integration and economic diversification of developing countries.
- Review sustainability challenges associated with production, processing and supply of critical materials and the role of trade and circularity in promoting sustainable and equitable critical minerals supply chains.
- Explore cooperative approaches to trade in critical minerals and avenues for international cooperation initiatives for sustainable and pro-development critical minerals supply chains.
- Contribute to ongoing efforts to foster multilateral cooperation, such as the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
