How we help
Energy transition metals
Energy Transition metals (e.g. copper, nickel) are necessary for the manufacture of the technologies that underpin the clean energy transition, such as electric vehicles and solar photovoltaic panels. The clean energy transition is predicted to drive a 3-20 fold increase in demand for energy transition metals which necessitates an unprecedented, global scale up in mining and metals operations over the next three decades. If this scale up does not occur, Net Zero cannot be achieved.
We are leading pioneering work with multi-lateral development banks, leading industry stakeholders and thinkers, and miners to create clear, concise, and actionable Net Zero decarbonisation pathways for energy transition metals sectors, and also evidence the need to deploy circular economy models to maximise metals recycling.
Technology critical minerals
The technology critical minerals and metals market underpins national security and economic growth. Technology critical minerals are essential to the manufacture of the materials and products which build society, but they are prone to supply chains vulnerabilities or interruptions. Nations seek to capture technology critical minerals supply through government to government agreements.
We are working with technology critical minerals stakeholders to explore how best to achieve TCM decarbonisation pathways.
A just and equitable transition
The significant mining and metals expansion need to achieve Net Zero will require substantial green finance. This expansion creates a generational opportunity to refresh business models and deliver just and equitable societal outcomes for local communicates and national hosts.
We are leading pioneering work with multi-lateral development banks, leading industry stakeholders and thinkers, and miners to create clear, concise, and actionable just and equitable transition plans for the mining and metals sectors.
Metals as a Service (MaaS)
Rising demand for clean energy metals will exceed what primary mining can supply, making secondary and recycled sources increasingly critical by 2050.
To address this challenge, the mining sector must adopt more circular, low‑impact business models, with MaaS offering a promising solution by retaining metal ownership and incentivising efficient use, recovery and recycling.
⮞ Learn more about MaaS
MaaS offers a transformative approach to metals circularity, scaling secondary metals supply to meet the clean energy transition. Instead of selling metal outright, producers retain ownership and provide customers with rights to use the metal. This ‘servitisation’ model creates incentives to optimise metal use, improve recovery and recycling, minimise environmental harm, and share economic value more equitably with mineral-rich nations. MaaS could help overcome cultural and commercial inertia within mining while unlocking innovation and investment opportunities across the value chain.
The Carbon Trust, together with the CCSI, is developing the research, analysis, and stakeholder engagement needed to test the viability of MaaS. This work includes evaluating economic benefits, exploring low-risk business models, identifying financing and policy enablers, and shaping practical pathways for adoption. Over 70 miners, metals producers, metals traders, recyclers, OEMs, project developers, academics, and ecosystem stakeholders have engaged with the discussion.
⮞ Discover the outputs of our strategy workshop
In July 2025, the Carbon Trust and CCSI held a strategy workshop with stakeholders from the metals value chain, including mining, recycling, trading, manufacturing, finance, and policy. Together we examined how MaaS might unlock the untapped economic value of secondary metals, support circular systems change, and reduce pressure on primary supply.
⮞ Discover the webinar
In December 2025, the Carbon Trust and CCSI co-hosted a webinar ‘Metals-as-a-service: A bankable circular business model’. We explored the benefits of applying MaaS to the metal value chains, including:
- Real life case studies
- The economic and operational benefits of using a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to efficiently offer MaaS to the market
- Applying MaaS for steel use in the wind value chain
- Digital traceability options for investor confidence
- Economic analysis highlighting the positive business case for MaaS including risk analyses.
