The US State Department hopes to expand a strategic minerals initiative aimed at ensuring supply chains for metals critical for batteries and wind and solar power as demand for green energy keeps growing despite the coronavirus, a top diplomat said on Tuesday.
Ten countries, including Canada, Australia and Brazil, joined the United States last year to form the Energy Resource Governance Initiative, or ERGI, in which Washington will share mining experience to help countries discover and develop minerals such as lithium, copper and cobalt.
ERGI, part of an effort to reduce the world’s reliance on China for the high-tech materials, is also meant to provide advice to help ensure industries are attractive to international investors.