The Future of Materials Systems 2026

At the same time, existing cooperation efforts remain hard to engage with in practice. Challenges such as fragmentation across numerous initiatives, uncertainty around data and intellectual property sharing, and a lack of clear intergovernmental coordination or leadership continue to constrain participation and dilute collective impact. As the pendulum of global politics swings further towards short-term national interest, pressing questions emerge about the capacity of the international community to confront shared challenges and ensure the materials systems of the future are resilient, productive and sustainable. In this evolving landscape, global leadership and the values needed to underpin the next phase of international cooperation on materials are issues that remain critically unresolved. This white paper examines how international cooperation on materials can adjust to this reality and proposes three key actions for progress: Adapt cooperation approaches to a multipolar world Cooperation approaches need to adapt to a multipolar context, with greater emphasis on agile, interest-based “coalitions of the doing”, comprised of partners who share enough common ground to work together. These efforts should be complemented by strengthened intergovernmental coordination that sustains coherence with ongoing multilateral developments, avoids duplication and removes barriers to cooperation.Coordinate a systemic approach to the circular economy By systemically considering all stages of materials lifecycles, the circular economy provides a holistic approach to strengthening resilience, productivity and sustainability across materials systems. Yet no country or organization can achieve a circular economy in isolation. Scaling-up circular value chains across borders requires greater international cooperation on data, standards and trade to avoid fragmentation and ensure comparability. Prioritize cooperation efforts on data, international standards and trade International cooperation efforts should be prioritized and sequenced around three areas where progress is both feasible and mutually reinforcing: –Data transparency and traceability to build a shared evidence base on material flows and impacts. –Improved coherence in international standards, especially for responsible mining and the circular economy. –Enhanced trade and market cooperation to support strategic minerals and scale up circular value chains across borders. 12 3 The Future of Materials Systems: Cooperation Opportunities in a Multipolar World 5