While governments have been announcing ambitious green-energy initiatives, the private sector has been matching with its own spending, said Ion Energy CEO Ali Haji. 

On Friday Haji recorded Kitco Roundtable podcast with Mining Audiences Manager Michael McCrae, Kitco correspondent Paul Harris and editor Neils Christensen. 

Ion Energy (CVE:ION) is advancing a lithium project in Mongolia. 

Haji noted that the Biden administration has plans for energy transitioning spending in the billions. Haji also pointed to GM's June announcement that it was increasing spending on electric and autonomous research. 

"We've also seen the private [sector investments], such as GM spending $35 billion. That's a significant number, and they're planning to spend that before 2025. So you're talking about four years' worth of R&D--not production, not development, not retrofitting factories--but purely R&D."