Mineral oligopoly overshadows world's drive to decarbonization

Australia, 2 others account for nearly 90% of world's lithium production

Brine pools and processing areas at a lithium mine in Chile. The country is one of the world's key producers of the material, used in EV batteries. © Reuters

AIKO MUNAKATA, KENJI ASADA and MISA HAMA, Nikkei staff writers

November 4, 2021 18:41 JST

TOKYO -- Concerns are mounting in Japan over its access to materials considered key in the push toward decarbonization, with most production of mineral resources such as lithium and cobalt concentrated in just a handful of countries.