Sustainable Finance and Raw Material Value Chains – Friends or Enemies?
To fulfill the goals of green and digital transition, the demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) is expected to massively grow upwards of 500% by 2050, according to the World Bank. Being constitutive elements of clean technologies from solar panels and electric motors to batteries and electronic devices, their supply will have to massively scale up, first from primary resources. However, there are real challenges to make this happen. New mining operations are very capital intensive with long lead times and with potentially adverse environmental and social impacts. A next generation of companies along the entire CRM value chain, from exploration and mining to processing and recycling, is emerging both in Europe and globally, aiming to make contributions to global goals and clean energy transition while adhering to the highest ESG standards in their operations. How should the investment community approach these new actors and developments? What would it take in terms of ESG assessment, data quality, regulations, and societal perceptions to turn these plans into reality and in turn help achieve the goals of green and digital transition? Join this focused workshop to learn experts’ thoughts and views on these questions and others.