That pursuit reached the top of global politics, when the UN convened its first High-Level Meeting on critical energy transition minerals. The G20’s Critical Minerals Framework champions this approach to create local jobs and lift export revenues. A Dual Solution for a Global Materials GovernanceBuilding a truly sustainable global mineral governance requires moving beyond the false choice between techno-optimistic extraction and anti-extractivism that leaves little room for development. Democratic Governance in the Global SouthIn producer countries, extraction must be subject to public, transparent, and rights-respecting governance. Sufficiency calms prices and lifts the emergency, creating the political space for producer countries to govern democratically without being punished by the market.