Africa is home to some of the world鈥檚 most critical mineral reserves. A proliferation of electronics and clean energy technologies is projected to increase the global demand for minerals like听copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt by sixfold in the next 25.听Properly managed, these resources offer opportunities including economic growth, infrastructure development, increased foreign investment, and potential leadership in the green energy sector.
Extracting and managing these resources sustainably and equitably remains a significant challenge.
For Africa, a major producer of these critical minerals, global demands are expected to spur the growth of mining activities while potentially driving African countries鈥� transition to green and cleaner energy.
As a whole Africa is home to about听听of the world鈥檚 cobalt reserves, about 10% of copper, 30% of lithium, 15% of rare earth elements, 95% of chromium, 20% of graphite and more than 30% of manganese.
Therefore, the growth in demand for critical minerals presents a major opportunity for the continent. Yet at the same time, and if the historical arc of natural resource extraction and exploitation is of any indication, the promises of prosperity may not fully materialise. 听
Recognising both the growing importance of these minerals in achieving global sustainability goals and the need to properly guide their extraction, UN Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres听听a new panel tasked with creating a framework for equity, transparency, investment, sustainability, and human rights in mineral extraction.
听鈥淎 world powered by renewables is a world hungry for critical minerals,鈥� UN Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres remarked at the launch.
鈥淔or developing countries, critical minerals are a critical opportunity to create jobs, diversify economies, and dramatically boost revenues. But only if they are managed properly,鈥� he emphasized and added: 鈥淲e cannot repeat the mistakes of the past with a systematic exploitation of developing countries reduced to the production of basic raw materials.鈥�
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The newly established Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals brings together leaders and experts from government, industry, and civil society.
It is co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul J酶rgensen of the European Commission.
The panel is tasked with tackling several urgent issues including environmental impacts of mining and mineral processing; social and economic consequences for local communities; geopolitical tensions arising from mineral resource distribution.
Ambassador Mxakato-Diseko highlighted the panel's goal: 鈥淚n establishing the Panel, the UN Secretary-General is commendably responding to a normative gap identified by many countries, especially developing countries, related to critical minerals and rare earths required for sustainable development and just transitions.鈥�
By developing global guidelines and principles, the panel will guide the just transition to renewable energy sources. It seeks to balance the economic benefits of mineral extraction with the imperative to protect environments and communities, thus supporting the UN鈥檚 broader goals of sustainable development.
For the Director-General听for听Energy Ditte听Juul听J酶rgensen, 鈥渢he听global听energy goals听we听all agreed at COP28听require听a听rapidscale-up听in听the听manufacturing听and听deployment听of听renewables听globally听and critical听energy听transition听minerals.鈥�
But even if these targets would not be reached without an increase in the supply of critical energy transition minerals, 鈥渢he race to net zero cannot trample over the poor. The renewables revolution is happening 鈥� but we must guide it towards justice,鈥� Mr. Guterres听cautioned.
The Secretary-General first announced the panel establishment at COP28, where countries had agreed to triple renewable capacity by 2030.听
You can find 听more information here: /en/climatechange/critical-minerals
