Invested by Europe: Why Critical Raw Materials Are Key to Europe’s Future

From Climate Solutions by European Investment Bank

May 5, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

Lerato Kotelo discusses the importance of critical raw materials for Europe's future and how to secure sustainable supply chains.

Critical raw materials are everywhere — in your phone, in solar panels, in wind turbines, and in the batteries that power the energy transition. But where do these materials come from? Why does Europe depend so heavily on them? And how can we build more secure, sustainable, and diversified supply chains?  In this episode of  Invested by Europe , Lerato Kotelo, critical raw materials specialist at the European Investment Bank, explains:  What is a critical or strategic raw material  Why technologies like batteries, solar panels and wind turbines depend on them  How Europe can diversify its supply and reduce dependence on fossil  Why recycling and innovation are so important  How do new approaches like extracting lithium from geothermal brines work  How responsible partnerships with global producers can create win‑win outcomes  Lerato also shares insights on Europe’s mining history, today’s rapidly changing extraction technologies, and how innovation is making mining safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Guest: Lerato Kotelo

Topics covered

critical raw materials
supply chains
energy transition
sustainability
mining history
innovation

Keywords

critical raw materials
Europe
supply chains
sustainability
mining
innovation
energy transition
recycling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: European Investment Bank

Products: batteries, solar panels, wind turbines

Places: Europe, geothermal brines