Critical energy transition minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and battery storage. Demand for critical minerals is set to grow by three and a half times by 2030 as the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy in order to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050.
“A world powered by renewables is a world hungry for critical minerals. For developing countries, critical minerals are a critical opportunity – to create jobs, diversify economies, and dramatically boost revenues. But only if they are managed properly. The race to net zero cannot trample over the poor. The renewables revolution is happening – but we must guide it towards justice. ”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Without proper management, the increasing demand for critical minerals risks perpetuating commodity dependence, exacerbating geopolitical tensions and environmental and social challenges, including impacts on livelihoods, the environment, health, human security and human rights, and can undermine efforts towards the energy transition.
As minerals extraction accelerates to match the needs of the energy transition, it is crucial to ensure that the countries and local communities endowed with these resources are the ones to benefit the most.
The Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals seeks to build trust between governments, local communities and industry, by addressing issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights. It builds on existing standards and initiatives, particularly the Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development and its flagship initiative, ‘Harnessing Critical Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development,’ to strengthen and consolidate existing efforts.
Co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Ms. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy of the European Commission, the Panel brings together governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, industry and civil society, to develop a set of common and voluntary principles to build trust, guide the transition and accelerate the race to renewables.
Through its work and the development of the principles, the Panel will seek to fulfill the following objectives:
- Support a just and equitable transition to renewable energies while harnessing critical energy transition minerals for sustainable development.
- Ensure countries and local communities endowed with these minerals fully benefit economically, including through local value addition, while safeguarding social and environmental protections for affected communities and ecosystems.
- Strengthen international cooperation including through the alignment and harmonization of existing norms, standards and initiatives and agree on areas for enhanced multilateral action.
The work of the Panel is supported by a technical secretariat led by the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and comprised of over a dozen UN system entities.
Watch the video and read the press release and the Secretary-General’s remarks on the launch of the Panel on 26 April 2024
Watch the Co-chairs' briefing for UN Member States on 12 July 2024.
Call for submissions
The UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals called for written submissions as an important way of sharing information, building understanding and helping advance its work to finalize a set of common and voluntary principles in an open, transparent and inclusive manner.
Individuals and stakeholder groups were encouraged to send their submissions through a form on this web page from 2 July until 30 July 2024.
The purpose of the call for submissions was to help the Panel develop stronger and clearer principles and actionable recommendations for guidance to stakeholders up and down the critical energy transition minerals value chains – and speed up their implementation.
Individuals and stakeholder groups were invited to refer to the following as a basis for their submissions:
The background paper was developed in May 2024 at the beginning of the work of the Panel to frame the thematic discussions of Panel members. The paper reflects an overview of potential non-exhaustive elements which could be considered by Panel members. The background paper will not be updated.
Panel members have since been discussing potential principles and actionable recommendations for implementation under four different workstreams which will feed into final overarching outcomes ahead of the UN General Assembly in September 2024.
The workstreams are as follows:
- Benefit sharing, local value addition and economic diversification
- Transparent and fair trade and investments
- Sustainable, responsible and just value chains
- Mineral value chain stability and resilience
