Copper mine in Iran. Critical Minerals Expert Group issues recommendations to international community Climate and Environment
Demand for minerals critical to renewable energy technologies will nearly triple by 2030, the UN has calculated. A panel of experts convened by the UN Secretary-General has published a report setting out principles and recommendations for governments, manufacturers and other stakeholders to ensure that the global energy transition is realized in a fair and sustainable manner.
“Today’s report from the Panel on Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition provides practical guidance to help ensure prosperity and equity alongside clean energy,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“This report sets out how to ensure that the renewable energy revolution is fair and equitable,… respects people’s rights, protects the environment and promotes prosperity in resource-rich developing countries,” he said.
The Secretary-General said he had asked the Panel of Experts to share recommendations with countries ahead of the COP29 climate conference in Baku in November.
The Panel’s report sets out how to ensure fairness, transparency, sustainability and human rights not only in the extraction of natural resources, but also along the entire value chain, from processing and production to transportation and post-use recycling.
“Cooperation is of the utmost importance for countries to effectively address multiple challenges,” said Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, South Africa’s Ambassador to the UN and co-chair of the Critical Minerals in Transition Panel.
“With climate change at the heart of these challenges, it is urgent to work together, with the understanding that we will either sink together or rise together – based on shared values,” she added.
Co-Chair of the Panel, European Commission Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul Jørgensen, recalled the pledges made by countries at the COP28 climate conference last year.
Last year, at COP28, all countries agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency. Demand for critical minerals will skyrocket
“Last year at COP28, all countries agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency. Demand for critical minerals will increase dramatically. We must seize this opportunity to grow our economies, protect our societies, preserve the environment and share the benefits more fairly,” Jorgensen said.
The principles presented in the report build on existing international norms and the legal commitments that governments have previously made, and are accompanied by a set of concrete, actionable recommendations.
The Panel’s recommendations include the establishment of a high-level expert advisory group within the UN to facilitate multi-stakeholder policy dialogue and coordination on economic issues in mineral value chains; the creation of a fund to address abandoned mines; and the empowerment of small businesses in the areas of development, environment and human rights.
Keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will depend on the supply of critical minerals for the energy transition, such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements. They are essential components of clean energy technologies, from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and batteries.
Developing countries with large reserves of critical minerals have the opportunity to transform and diversify their economies, create green jobs, and promote sustainable development. However, without appropriate policies, increased demand for these minerals can only increase commodity dependence, exacerbate geopolitical tensions, and create environmental and social problems with adverse development and health consequences.
In response to calls from developing countries for global leadership in this area, the UN Secretary-General convened the Panel on Critical Minerals in April 2024. It brings together governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, manufacturers, and civil society.