Demand for minerals to power technology could triple by 2030, UN political chief says

UNITED NATIONS: Demand for critical minerals that power technology from smartphones to missiles could triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040, the United Nations political chief told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.

“A decade ago, minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel had limited strategic importance,” Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said. “Today, they underpin the technologies powering the digital economy and the energy transition.”