US advocates for continued fossil fuel development…Joyce emphasized the vulnerability of renewable energy supply chains to geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding critical minerals dominated by Chinese production. He highlighted specific concerns about rare earth elements essential for green technologies…On April 4, the US Ministry of Commerce issued a statement announcing export controls on medium and heavy rare earth-related products made from samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium. The list included high-performance neodymium iron boron (NdFeB)-containing dysprosium or terbium, and samarium cobalt rare earth magnets…Joyce criticised climate-focused policies as “harmful and dangerous” while highlighting the US position among the world’s top oil, gas and nuclear producers, and fourth-largest coal producer… He warned that grids built mainly around wind and solar power would face serious reliability issues, citing Puerto Rico’s transition as a cautionary tale…Taking a contrasting position, French industry and energy minister Marc Ferracci argued that Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels represented its greatest vulnerability…“As long as we remain massively dependent on fossil fuels, there will be no energy security for Europe,” Ferracci said...“As our energy dependency on fossil fuels goes down, our energy security goes up. That is the lesson we have learned in Europe,” von der Leyen said. “We reduced our vulnerability to Russian fossil fuels by accelerating the rollout of homegrown renewable energy”… “Renewables now account for 47% of our electricity mix. Solar and wind are our two fastest-growing energy sources. Last year alone, we installed 78 gigawatts of new renewable capacity, that is enough to power London 16 times over.”…“This shows that the clean transition strengthens our energy security,” she said, highlighting critical raw materials as one of five key areas requiring international cooperation. “These minerals are the building blocks of the clean transition.”…The CRMA came into force on May 23, 2024, and was designed to support Europe’s sustainable and resilient supply of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) and Strategic Raw Materials (SRMs) essential to the bloc’s economy and strategic sectors…CRMs include antimony, manganese, niobium and tantalum, while – appearing on both lists, among others – are bismuth, cobalt, gallium, germanium, lithium, magnesium metal, natural graphite and silicon metal.

China’s CMOC Group Ltd., one of the world’s fastest-growing miners, unveiled major management changes with the departure of its chairman and vice chair and the addition of four new senior executives — including former Glencore Plc trader Kenny Ives…The copper-and-cobalt giant’s chairman Yuan Honglin and vice chair Li Chaochun both resigned for personal reasons and had no disagreement with the board, CMOC said in an exchange filing on Sunday…The changes mark a significant shift at the top of CMOC, which has emerged from relative obscurity to become the world’s biggest cobalt miner and a major copper producer, largely thanks to acquisitions in Africa…“CMOC will focus on mining industry M&A, including copper, gold, and other minor metals mines,” CMOC said in comments via WeChat to Bloomberg News. The new management has “rich experience in mine operation” and is able to acquire, develop and operate large greenfield projects, it said…But it’s the promotion of Ives, who spent 23 years at Glencore and wanted to be its boss, will attract attention globally. He’s been chief executive officer of CMOC’s trading arm since 2022, overhauling the unit as CMOC aims to challenge the dominance of firms like Glencore and Trafigura Group in global metals trading…CMOC is already a major player in commodities linked to the energy transition after its expansion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It passed Glencore as top cobalt supplier in 2023, but also has significant clout in copper and ambitions in lithium and nickel. Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. has a 25% stake.

"I extend my sincere congratulations to Mark Carney on his election as Prime Minister of Canada. Born in Fort Smith, he shares a connection to the Northwest Territories — a territory whose leadership and potential have never been more important to Canada’s future. I look forward to building a strong and productive partnership focused on unlocking the full potential of the North for the benefit of all Canadians…"The Northwest Territories stands ready to lead — securing Canada's Arctic sovereignty, advancing critical minerals development, building critical infrastructure, and driving sustainable economic growth…Achieving these goals will require strong partnership and real action, and the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to working closely with the Prime Minister, our Member of Parliament, Indigenous governments, communities, NGOs, and businesses to build a stronger, more resilient North — not just for Northerners, but for the future of Canada itself.

South Korea's LG group remains committed to Indonesia and will increase its investment in a battery cell factory by $1.7 billion, raising total investment in the project to $2.8 billion, Indonesia's investment minister said on Tuesday…The comment from minister Rosan Roeslani follows confirmation last week that LG Energy Solution, or LGES, has withdrawn from another venture in Indonesia, a 142 trillion rupiah ($8.46 billion) project in the EV battery supply chain, citing market conditions and the investment environment.