Making Critical Mineral Recovery Bankable And Insurable: Breakfast Panel, Discussion, Networking Session

Hosted by:

• Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
• Carbon Trust
• Solas Capital
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Buckstop

Who Should Join Us:

This event is designed for lenders, insurers, institutional investors, valuation professionals, asset owners, and corporate supply chain leaders who can discuss the constraints in implementing these models.

What to Expect:

Speakers from the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Carbon Trust, Solas Capital, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Buckstop will lead the discussion.

• A short keynote to set the stage.
• A panel discussion focused on three key questions regarding bankability.
• Live audience questions and blended networking at themed tables.

The session operates under the Chatham House Rule.

Participants Will Gain:

• A clear understanding of how circular models for critical minerals can become bankable and insurable in practice.
• Key insights on integrating residual value and end-of-life recovery into mainstream financing, risk, and portfolio frameworks for lenders, insurers, and institutional investors.

Registration:

Registration is confirmed by the organizers to balance the room across audiences and among Community of Practice members and non-members. Breakfast is provided; dietary requirements are collected at registration.

Program Overview:

The global transition to clean energy faces critical mineral shortages, yet billions of dollars in recoverable materials remain trapped within deployed assets and discarded as waste due to a critical "bankability gap." This event will bring together leading financial institutions, insurers, and circularity practitioners to explore practical solutions like asset residual value pricing and Metals-as-a-Service (MaaS).

MaaS is a circular business model that enables precise material tracking and generates stable, long-term cash flows. The panel will identify specific term-sheet structures, risk-return profiles, and valuation methods required to transform critical mineral recovery into a fully investable and insurable asset class.

Background:

The clean energy economy holds billions of dollars in recoverable value from critical minerals locked inside deployed and retired assets. Electrification is driving a surge in material needs, with demand for lithium expected to grow 5x by 2040. Current linear supply chains are forecasted to fall short, leading to potential economic shocks across various sectors. Transitioning to a circular economy for e-waste can help prevent these demand shortfalls and unlock significant economic value.

The steel-to-wind value chain serves as a clear test case, with projected increases in end-of-life material flows from EU wind assets. However, this value remains unclaimed due to measurement challenges. Lenders must rethink capital deployment processes to incorporate lifecycle circularity and close the “bankability gap.” This event will explore the opportunities within embedded critical minerals and the role of circularity in financing a clean energy future.