The Challenge of the Transition to Renewable Energies: A Geopolitical Approach in the Light of the International Competition for Rare Earth Elements

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the geopolitical dimensions of the transition to renewable energies in light of the international competition over securing access to rare earth elements (REEs), referred to as new geopolitical foundations that give the countries possessing them a geopolitical advantage. The study addressed three elements representing the geopolitics of REEs in renewable energy supply chains, global economic powers’ strategies to ensure access to them based on China’s dominant position in their markets as well as the geopolitics of international competition to secure access to REEs. The article concluded that the rising demand for REEs sparks a worldwide “mineral war,” in which global economic powers line up to secure access to these strategic resources necessary to build a future for clean energy. However, challenges remain significant and complex given their interconnection with the current international energy security mechanisms after many regions with large REEs reserves have become theatres of geopolitical tensions.