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UN Secretary-General appoints Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals
With ever-growing needs for minerals that are critical for renewable energy technologies, Secretary-General António Guterres is leveraging the United Nations’ convening power to bring together a diverse group of governments and other stakeholders across the entire minerals value chain to develop a set of global common and voluntary principles to safeguard environmental and social standards and embed justice, in the energy transition.
A Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals — co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission — will address issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, to avert the worst impacts of climate change, will depend on the sufficient, reliable and affordable supply of critical energy transition minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, which are essential components of clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and battery storage. At COP28, governments agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. There is no pathway to achieving this goal without a significant increase of supply of critical energy transition minerals. According to the International Energy Agency, mineral demand for clean energy applications is set to grow by three and a half times by 2030 on the pathway to reaching global net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Developing countries with large reserves of critical energy transition minerals have an opportunity to transform and diversify their economies, create green jobs, and foster sustainable local development. However, mineral resource development has not always met this promise.
Without proper management, increased demand for these minerals risks perpetuating commodity dependence, exacerbating geopolitical tensions, and poses environmental and social challenges with adverse impacts on sustainable development including on livelihoods, the environment, health, human security and human rights. Responding to calls from developing countries for globally agreed guidance to ensure responsible, fair and just value chains, the UN-convened Panel brings together governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, industry, and civil society to build trust, guide the just transition and accelerate the race to renewables. The panel builds on existing UN initiatives, particularly the Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development and its flagship initiative on ‘Harnessing Critical Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development’ and will draw from existing standards and initiatives to strengthen and consolidate existing efforts.
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UN Secretary-General appoints Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals
Agenda 30-11-2023 – #COP28 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference