Central Asia could help the West break its dependence on China’s critical minerals

News Snapshot:

After the COP28 climate summit, the world cautiously celebrated the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era. But many are starting to worry about the emerging contest over the critical minerals essential for this green future. Surging demand for chromium, copper, germanium, lithium and uranium — core components for batteries, wind farms, nuclear plants and electric vehicles — will force the U.S. and its allies to reckon with China, a near monopolist on their production, refinement and distribution. The International Energy Agency estimates that there will need to be a quadrupling of mineral requirements for clean energy technologies...