See all the 2.8 billion tonnes of metals mined in 2021.
Despite being the world's biggest carbon emitter, China is also a key producer of most of the critical minerals for the green revolution.
Rare earth elements are the critical ingredients for a greener economy, making their reserves increasingly valuable to global supply chains.
One of the last frontiers, moon mining could potentially provide a human colony with important resources such as water, helium-3, rare earth elements, and other substances.