Throughout the week, CEBRI promoted a series of debates on climate action and the energy transition, bringing together representatives from the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society to advance concrete solutions in the lead-up to COP30.
The fourth event of the week was organized by CEBRI’s Critical and Strategic Minerals Program, co-hosted with the Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM) and supported by BMA Advogados. The event convened representatives from the private sector, academia, government, civil society, and other specialized mining agencies.
The roundtable focused on Brazil’s potential in the global supply chain for critical and strategic minerals. It was held within the framework of the project “Brazil’s Role in the Global Strategic Minerals Agenda”, carried out in partnership with Cenergia, COPPE, the Climate and Society Institute (iCS), CETEM, and SGB, and sponsored by BHP and Vale.
The session opened with institutional remarks from Márcio Pereira, Partner at BMA Advogados, and José Pio Borges, President of CEBRI, both of whom highlighted the importance of cooperation among different stakeholders in today’s geopolitical context. This was followed by the panel “Minerals in 21st-Century Geopolitics: Trends and Risks.” Raul Jungmann, CEO of IBRAM, stressed that Brazil requires a solid capital market for mining and the establishment of comprehensive national policies. He also welcomed the fact that Brazil increasingly recognizes the strategic value of mining and underscored the need for enhanced mapping of the country’s subsoil.
Next, Izabella Teixeira, International Advisory Board Member of CEBRI and former Minister of the Environment, emphasized the current erosion of multilateralism and underlined the COP30 as a concrete diplomatic opportunity. She noted that the world is undergoing a land resources transition, and that for Brazil to play a leadership role in this process, it must be willing to take risks, remain competitive, and present concrete solutions. Concluding the panel, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30, reiterated that the Brazilian COP is focused on action and implementation, building upon pre-established consensus. He emphasized that the summit represents an indispensable opportunity for Brazil to showcase its potential in strategic minerals, forests, and technological development. The panel was moderated by Clarissa Lins, Chair of CEBRI’s Energy Transition Program and Founding Partner of Catavento.
Following this, Rafaela Guedes, Senior Fellow at CEBRI and International Consultant at APCO, presented preliminary results from the project “Brazil’s Role in the Global Strategic Minerals Agenda” and moderated a panel aimed at collecting contributions for the study. Caio Seabra, Director at ANM, underscored the need to revitalize Brazil’s mining sector through adequate technologies, as well as a regulatory and tax framework capable of addressing persistent issues such as idle concessions. Emir Calluf, CEO of BHP Brazil, highlighted the importance of Brazil positioning itself as a stable country to attract investment, particularly in agrominerals whose supply chains have been affected by the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
Edson Ribeiro, Director of Exploration, Resources and Mineral Reserves at Vale, argued that mining itself should be regarded as critical, rather than only the minerals extracted. He also emphasized the importance of mapping global mineral value chains to identify where the highest value-added segments are located. Representing the North of Brazil, Emerson Rocha, Executive Director of Simineral, highlighted Pará’s importance to the mining sector and stressed the role of cooperation among civil society, mining companies, and government in delivering the infrastructure commitments for COP30.
Mathias Becker, Partner at Systemiq, called attention to hidden demand drivers that must be better understood and provided an insightful overview of challenges related to ferrous and non-ferrous minerals. Finally, from a subnational perspective, Raphael Martins, Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Sustainable Development of the State of Goiás, presented a range of state-led initiatives in the mining sector and emphasized Goiás’ leadership in rare earth reserves and production, particularly in Serra Verde—the only commercial-scale producer outside Asia of four critical rare earth elements essential to modern technologies.
