Powerful nations treat critical minerals primarily through the lens of national interest and security. This narrow focus, however, risks repeating the mistakes of the past: deepening inequality, harming the environment and leaving ordinary people behind.

Consider the Green Revolution of the mid-20th century. It relied heavily on high-yield crop varieties, mechanisation and chemical inputs, all aimed at boosting food production. While productivity soared, the benefits were uneven. Landless farmers were marginalised, and rural ecosystems suffered from overuse of fertilisers and irrigation. A top-heavy, capital-intensive approach that privileged output over human well-being further disempowered poor in several countries, including Pakistan. Today, the rush to secure critical minerals could produce similar consequences if it ignores the needs of the many.

A team of researchers writing in Nature recently cautioned against conflating "critical minerals" with "energy-transition minerals". Most minerals deemed critical........

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