Critical materials for renewable energy: Improving data governance

Written by

Roman Vakulchuk

Senior Research Fellow, Head of Research group on climate and energy

Dastan Bekmuratov

Visiting Research Fellow

Ida Dokk Smith

Senior Research Fellow

Gavkharkhon Mamadzhanova

Visiting Research Fellow

Indra Overland

Research Professor

Tatjana Stankovic

Former employee

Luis Janeiro

IRENA

Benjamin Gibson

Former employee, IRENA

Julia Loginova

University of Queensland

André Månberger

Lunds universitet og NUPI

Isaac Elizondo Garcia

IRENA

Thiri Shwesin Aung

Francisco Boshell

IRENA

Philip Swanson

Independent researcher

Ed.

Summary:

This report highlights the importance of unified data repositories to enhance governance and decision-making in critical materials markets, emphasising how data opacity can impede renewable energy deployment. It examines major existing data sources on critical materials and reviews the key actors involved in their governance, including national government institutions, international organisations and foundations, mineral associations and commercial data providers.

The report reviews initiatives aimed at improving data availability in other sectors, using them as potential models for critical materials data management. Drawing on lessons from these initiatives, it highlights the principles and content of such a database, as well as the benefits of establishing a unified data repository for critical materials to enhance data transparency, access, and quality in critical materials markets.

Published year: 2024
Full version: Download here
Publisher: IRENA
Page count: 44
Language: English