Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King will visit Europe and the UK to highlight Australia’s role as a reliable supplier of critical minerals for global net zero efforts.
Minister King will participate in the inaugural International Energy Agency (IEA) Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit on 28 September in Paris, where she will hold bilateral talks with ministers from Germany, the EU, France, and the UK.
The talks will involve industry representatives from Europe and the UK, including the automotive industry, which will require more critical minerals for electric vehicle manufacturing.
“Australia has the critical minerals the world needs to help lower emissions and we have well established export supply chains built over decades through our iron ore and gas industries,” Minister King said.
Minister King noted that the Australian resources sector is also known for its high environmental and social government (ESG) standards and its global reputation as a stable and reliable export partner.
“I released Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy in June, which lays out Australia’s support for the industry and our plan to become a globally significant supplier of critical minerals by 2030,” the Minister added.
According to the Australian Government, the visit to Europe and the UK will showcase its efforts in partnering with international partners to diversify global supply chains and support investment in critical mineral mining and processing.
“The world’s clean energy transition will ride on the back of Australia’s critical minerals,” Minister King said.
“Critical minerals are crucial components of clean energy technologies such as batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, as well as for wind farms and solar panels.”
The IEA meeting in Paris will offer opportunities for discussions with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and other ministers.
