BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—hold a powerful share of the world’s critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths. These materials are essential for clean energy technologies such as solar panels, electric vehicles, batteries, and wind turbines. China alone produces over 60% of global lithium and refines nearly all rare earth elements; combined, BRICS countries dominate much of the mineral supply chain reddit.com+7eurasiareview.com+7zerocarbon-analytics.org+7.

By working together, BRICS can shape global clean energy trade and reduce dependency on Western-controlled supply chains. Initiatives like the BRICS Geological Platform and joint investments through the New Development Bank aim to build mining, processing, and recycling capacity. However, differences in politics, regulations, and industrial strategies—especially between China and India—could slow deeper cooperation