IRTC round tables bring together global experts from policy, research, and industry to address the most pressing challenges around critical raw materials (CRMs). We focus on practical, cross-disciplinary dialogue covering assessment methods, supply risks, circularity, responsible sourcing, environmental and social footprints, the energy–materials nexus, and policy developments.
Our Discussions Explore…
• How evolving CRM assessments guide strategy and investment
• Corporate practices to improve circularity, design for recycling, and secondary supply
• The interplay between decarbonization goals and CRM demand
• Risk identification across complex global supply networks
• Methodological advances that influence what is deemed “critical”
• Policy developments shaping supply chains
Recent sessions include a 2025 update on CRM assessments and policies, reflecting shifting market dynamics, new industrial policies, and heightened sustainability expectations. Earlier round tables examined topics such as CRM demand and footprints in the energy transition, company-led circularity initiatives, policy’s role in economic resilience, and the methodological foundations of criticality.
Why It Matters
CRMs are the basis for clean energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Ensuring secure, sustainable, and ethical supply is essential for competitiveness, climate goals, and societal trust. By convening diverse stakeholders, IRTC accelerates shared understanding, highlights best practices, and supports actionable pathways from analysis to implementation – sustaining dialogue and collaboration even as the global landscape becomes more fragmented.