S01E03 - Europe’s energy transition: The raw materials challenge

As Europe accelerates its energy transition, a new strategic challenge is coming into focus: securing the raw materials needed to power a net-zero future. From lithium and cobalt to rare earths and copper, the clean energy economy depends on critical resources that are increasingly at the centre of global competition, industrial policy, and geopolitical tension.

In this episode of RAW Talks, host Roman Stiftner sits down with Christian Egenhofer, Associate Senior Research Fellow at CEPS, to explore the material side of Europe’s green transition. Together, they unpack how resource dependency is reshaping energy policy, why supply chains have become a strategic priority for the EU, and what Europe must do to balance sustainability, competitiveness, and security of supply.

The conversation also examines the geopolitical implications of critical raw materials, the role of recycling and circularity, and whether Europe can realistically achieve strategic autonomy in a rapidly changing global landscape.

A timely discussion on the hidden foundations of the energy transition and the race to secure the resources that will define the future economy.