According to market predictions, most forward-looking commodities markets experienced declining profit margins in 2023.

Navigating the uncertainty

The tightening of global monetary policies has exerted pressure on the demand for metals, and the widespread supply chain disruptions experienced in 2022 have mostly subsided. While the renewable energy and electric vehicle (EV) sectors, crucial contributors to metal demand, have exhibited resilience, they are only partially shielded from the broader global economic deceleration and are contending with their challenges.

As the world enters 2024, a significant level of uncertainty continues to linger. Markets are haunted by issues such as conflict, energy security concerns, and uncertainties surrounding China's economic future, making it challenging to pinpoint the timing of a potential recovery. In the midst of these complexities, miners are grappling with heightened levels of regulation and increased costs. To decipher the profound changes underway and their implications for the essential commodities driving the energy transition, Wood Mackenzie is delighted to declare the return of its Future Facing Commodities Forum scheduled for March 27, 2024.

Participating in this forum allows you to delve into the most recent developments and perspectives, where you can:

• Get updated views on our unparalleled and integrated coverage of the renewables, battery and electric vehicle value chains.
• Watch as our world-class analysts unpack their detailed analysis of short and long-term forecasts for key-facing commodities. 
• Understand how technology, geopolitics, and tightening emissions regulations impact metals markets.
• Focus on the outlook for those renewables, battery and EV materials that are key to building our electrified future, including lithium, nickel, aluminium, copper, rare earth, manganese, vanadium, cathode & precursor, graphite and more.

Topics to be addressed encompass:

• Taking stock: Where do markets stand?
• What next for the EV and battery value chains?
• Cathode & anode: The positive and negative in battery component markets
• Lithium: When prices meet costs – implications for markets and decarbonisation
• Nickel: Stainless or tarnished – Nickel’s role in the energy transition
• Technology watch - Evolution or revolution for metals markets
• Copper & aluminium: Sharing the spoils of electrification
• Manganese & vanadium: Built with steel but battery-powered
• Rare earth: Magnets leading the charge. Can supply keep up?

Featured speakers

• Lindsay Grant, Vice President, Head of M&M Markets Research
• Robin Griffin, Vice President of Metals & Mining
• Nick Pickens, Research Director of Global Mining
• Prateek Biswas, Analyst of Transport and Materials
• Egor Prokhodtsev, Senior Research Analyst of Energy Transition and Battery Raw Materials
• Suzanne Shaw, Head of Energy Transition & Battery Raw Materials
• James Willoughby, Senior Analyst of Graphite
• Kane Carty, Senior Research Analyst of Cathode & Precursor Markets
• Allan Pedersen, Research Director of Lithium
• Sean Mulshaw, Research Director of Nickel Markets
• Max Reid, Principal Analyst, Electric Vehicles & Battery Supply Chain Service
• Kevin Shang, Senior Research Analyst of Energy Storage Technology and Supply Chain
• Flor Lucia De la Cruz, Principal Analyst of Hydrogen and Emerging Technologies
• Eleni Joannides, Research Director of Copper
• Kevin Fowkes, Research Director of Steel Alloys
• Ross Embleton, Senior Analyst of Rare Earths Market Service

Session timings

There will be two virtual sessions:

APAC Edition will run 1:00 pm - 4:10 pm SGT | 2:00 pm - 5:10 pm JST/KST | 3:00 pm - 6:10 pm AEST

EMEA/US Edition will run 2:00 pm - 5:10pm GMT | 10:00 am - 1:10 pm ET

To register, please click here!