Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, is currently in Europe to promote Australia as a reliable supplier of critical minerals to support global efforts to reach net-zero. Minister King will hold bilateral talks with ministerial counterparts from Germany, the EU, France and the UK, and will participate in the inaugural International Energy Agency (IEA) Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit on September 28 in Paris.
Talks will involve industry representatives from across Europe and the UK, including Europe’s automotive industry, which will need more critical minerals to manufacture electric vehicles.
“Australia has the critical minerals the world needs to help lower emissions, and we have well-established export supply chains built over decades through our iron ore and gas industries,” Minister King said.
“Australia’s resources sector also has high environmental and social governance standards (ESG), and a global reputation as a stable and reliable export partner.
“I released Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy in June, which lays out Australia’s support for the industry and our plan to become a globally significant supplier of critical minerals by 2030.”
The visit to Europe and the UK will be a chance to outline how Australia is working with the sector and cooperating with international partners to diversify global supply chains and support investment in the mining and processing of key critical minerals.
“The world’s clean energy transition will ride on the back of Australia’s critical minerals,” Minister King said.
“Critical minerals are crucial components of clean energy technologies such as batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, as well as for wind farms and solar panels.”
Australia is the world’s leading producer of unprocessed lithium, the world’s third-largest cobalt exporter and the fourth-largest exporter of rare earths. Australia is also the fourth-largest exporter of mined copper and nickel and a significant producer of aluminium.
The exciting new agreement helps us unlock the strengths of our two states capabilities and fosters increased cooperation in research, development and industry collaboration at the higher education level to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, particularly in the bio economy sector. It will help us work together and faster in trying to meet our most pressing global challenges, climate change and achieving net zero emissions.
This important agreement was signed during a live video teleconference by the Hon. Leanne Linard MP, Queensland’s Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science and Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Markus Blume, Bavarian Minister for Science and the Arts.
This partnership will drive forward some already existing and very effective relationships between our world leading universities and create new areas for collaboration and opportunity in critical areas such as, but not exclusively:
☀ energy (including green hydrogen, synthetic fuels and energy storage)
💧 cleantech and emission reduction technologies
🤖 artificial intelligence
🖥 quantum technologies
🏗 additive manufacturing
🔬 life sciences, biomedical research and bioeconomy
🚀 aerospace
On behalf of the Queensland Government, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science supported by Trade and Investment Queensland will help guide and deliver upon this agreement in practice, working with universities, researchers, institutes and commercial organisations. Henriette Pook, our dedicated Director, Research Partnerships based in Frankfurt, Germany will be leading TIQ’s efforts, together with colleagues in Brisbane, Frankfurt and London.
Learn more about the agreement and signing that took place virtually this morning here: https://lnkd.in/gX5WyEzJ
Queensland and Bavarian universities, researchers and all interested stakeholders wishing to learn more about the agreement should contact Henriette and our Trade and Investment Queensland colleagues today.