The War Below

Reuter’s senior correspondent Ernest Scheyder looks into the metals and minerals that are making the green energy transition possible. He underscores the fact that electric-vehicle batteries and wind turbines may not be as green as you think.

“Rare Earths”

About 200 nations joined the Paris Climate Accords in 2016, in which they agreed to net-zero emissions by 2050. Achieving those targets means the end of fossil fuel reliance and a new era of renewable energy. Governments are focusing on cutting emissions from gasoline and diesel-burning vehicles, but that requires securing access to the minerals that go into rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, a crucial component of electric vehicles. By 2030, the global demand for lithium will soar by 40%.