Artificial Intelligence, renewable energy and electric vehicles could provide the spark that ignites war. Recycling may help avoid superpower conflict. Let me explain.
Our industrial future depends heavily on 21st century ‘must have’ commodities. The demand for lithium, cobalt and copper as well as rare earth metals is huge. Copper is core to electricity generation, distribution and, of course, electric motors, whilst cobalt and lithium are key for power storage.
Elements such as neodymium, terbium, and dysprosium are used in the manufacturing of semiconductors and magnets that are essential components of the hard drives that enable efficient data storage and retrieval. These minerals are also vital in the production of advanced cooling systems, necessary to manage the immense heat generated by servers in data processing centres.
The exponential rise of AI and its imminent importance in military supremacy, drives an urgency for control of these commodities that is more acute than the scramble to secure oil and coal supplies of the last century.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds the majority of the world’s cobalt, often mined under dire conditions, linked to severe human rights abuses and child labour. Ethical and supply chain stability challenges are concerning the West. The DRC joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2021, further isolating Europe and America from these vital and contested resources. China already dominates rare earth element production and processing.
The world’s reliance on these materials, concentrated in regions where governance is weak and resource control is contested, creates a precarious situation. These resource-rich regions are geopolitical hotspots, with superpower proxy groups clashing to secure control over extraction rights.
The West is making strategic moves to lessen dependence on these supplies, investing in mining in aligned countries and domestic mining operations. These are often restrained by local environmental concerns.
The United States, European Union and Japan are investing heavily in recycling initiatives to re-use existing material, and develop alternative battery technologies to reduce dependency on non-aligned foreign supply chains.
Ensuring a stable and ethical supply chain for these commodities and a circular materials economy is essential in maintaining global stability and fostering a sustainable future. Never has the case for material recycling been more urgent to prevent conflict in the current scramble for resources.
Let’s get busy repairing the future.
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