The Government has published its first Critical Minerals Strategy, setting targets to meet 20 per cent of UK demand for critical minerals through recycling by 2035 . The strategy, titled Vision 2035, also targets at least 10 per cent of annual UK demand met through domestic production and aims to ensure no single country supplies more than 60 per cent of UK requirements.

The strategy, published by the Department for Business and Trade, identifies critical minerals as foundational to the Industrial Strategy's eight growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, and defence. The UK is currently more than 90 per cent reliant on imports for 32 of 34 minerals considered critical for the economy.

Between now and 2035, yearly demand for copper will almost double, while demand for lithium will increase by 1,100 per cent. As economies undertake the green transition, demand for these minerals will increase as energy sources and transport systems become more dependent on low-carbon technology.

Chris McDonald MP, Minister of State for Industry at the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, stated: "This Critical Minerals Strategy – Vision 2035 – is key to making this a reality. Our strategy sets out how we will grow our domestic production and use our international partnerships across the globe to support the resilience of the country's Industrial Strategy growth sectors."

The strategy commits £50 million in funding from the Department for Business and Trade to support critical mineral projects in the UK, alongside support from the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance. The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, to be introduced from 2027, will reduce electricity costs for eligible critical minerals businesses by up to £40 per megawatt hour.

The strategy emphasises developing the domestic circular economy to address the anticipated rise in demand for critical minerals over the next decade, recognising that primary sources cannot meet demand alone.

Due to the timescales that clean energy technologies will reach end of life, recycled sources of critical minerals will increase from 2030 and become a substantial source by 2040. The government states this timescale provides an opportunity to build on available domestic opportunities.

It notes that DEFRA’s forthcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan for England will outline regulatory reform to incentivise the recovery of critical minerals from end-of-life products alongside reducing demand. Development of this has incorporated insights from the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre and the UK Technology Metals Observatory.

Analysis from Green Alliance has found the UK is almost entirely dependent on imports for 24 critical raw materials identified as being of high or elevated criticality. The organisation's research suggests that domestically recycled nickel could exceed 50 per cent of demand by 2035 if the UK matches targets set in the EU's Battery Directive.

Separate analysis has found the UK is 100 per cent dependent on imports for 26 of 34 critical materials, with the country's circularity rate at 7.5 per cent . The UK exports 15.1 million tonnes of recyclable waste annually compared to importing 1.8 million tonnes, due to a lack of domestic recycling infrastructure.

Growth minerals list

Alongside the existing critical minerals list, the Government has introduced a growth minerals list to provide focus on current and future mineral needs in the growth sectors. The growth minerals list identifies beryllium, chromium, copper, uranium, and synthetic graphite based on their significance for UK-based manufacturing across relevant growth sectors.

Eligibility for government support, including from the National Wealth Fund, UK Export Finance, and the Environment Agency's priority tracked service for permitting, will extend to growth minerals. Some minerals appear on both lists due to expected increases in demand within growth sectors.

Projects in England using growth minerals will be able to leverage the Environment Agency's priority tracked service for complex permitting solutions, providing coordinated advice to help avoid delays. The government states the growth minerals list, accompanied by demand forecasts, will signal priorities to businesses across the critical mineral industry.

Among these, the Government estimates demand for aluminium will reach eight million tonnes by 2035, copper will reach 3.6 million tonnes, and lithium 399,200 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent.

‘Reusable wealth’

Libby Peake, head of resource policy at Green Alliance, commented: "Demand for critical raw materials is heating up across the world, and the UK has relatively few of these in the ground, which means we're almost completely reliant on imports for those that matter most to our economy. But we have a wealth of reusable material that's built up around us in our products and infrastructure, like wind turbines and batteries in electric vehicles.

"It's clearly time for a plan for managing the geopolitical risks we face around these critical minerals, and the environmental and human rights consequences of mining them. We can judge the government's strategy on the extent to which it reduces demand for new materials and increases their reuse, helping the UK become more resilient in an uncertain world."

The strategy identifies regional strengths in areas including the North East of England, Cornwall, Devon, County Durham, Teesside, Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Fort William, and South Wales. The UK has distinct mineral wealth including tungsten and tin in Devon and Cornwall, lithium in Cornwall, Teesside and County Durham, with exploration underway for copper and zinc in Anglesey.

The government says it will work with devolved administrations to ensure the strategy leverages strengths across the UK. Scotland is advancing its approach to critical minerals as part of its commitment to resilient and sustainable supply chains supporting the transition to net zero. Wales has utilised local geology and workforce skills to retain nickel and titanium product manufacturing. Northern Ireland is contributing research on recycling permanent magnets from wind turbines to vehicles.

Implementation of the strategy will be reviewed typically on an annual basis, with input from industry and the Critical Minerals Expert Committee. The government has identified four workstreams: international collaboration, building critical minerals security, opening up access to finance, and critical minerals intelligence.