A renewed G7 agreement to coordinate critical minerals supply chains, including aligned stockpiling and joint investment screening, is set to open additional export and project financing avenues for Australian producers of lithium, nickel, rare earths and other battery metals. The pact aims to reduce dependence on dominant suppliers such as China by supporting alternative processing and refining capacity in trusted jurisdictions, with Australia positioned as a key upstream source. For miners, the move signals stronger offtake certainty and potential backing for new concentrators, refineries and midstream facilities.

Plans by Allseas to operate deep-sea polymetallic nodule collectors for The Metals Company (TMC) in the Pacific, targeting 3 million wet tonnes per year from over 4,000 m water depth, are alleged to “directly” violate the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in a Greenpeace-commissioned legal opinion by Professor André Nollkaemper. The analysis argues that TMC’s reliance on a unilateral US permit bypasses the International Seabed Authority, which holds exclusive regulatory competence over the Area. Greenpeace Netherlands and five other NGOs have sent an urgent letter pressing the Dutch government to intervene against the planned commercial system.

Senior figures from UK civil engineering, infrastructure, construction, water, energy and transport have received King’s Birthday Honours, signalling government recognition of major project delivery and sector leadership. Recipients include leaders involved in complex rail and highway upgrades, strategic water resilience schemes and grid-scale energy infrastructure, where long-term asset performance and whole-life cost management are central. The awards are likely to strengthen the voice of practising engineers in policy discussions on net zero, infrastructure funding and climate adaptation standards.