The EU must use trade deals to protect environmental defenders

The document highlights the risks associated with the rapid extraction of transition minerals, specifically noting violence and human rights abuses in the Philippines. It urges the EU to implement strict sustainability standards in trade agreements and funding to ensure a just transition for mining communities.

• Global Witness documented 334 incidents of violence or protest between 2021 and 2023 related to the mining of nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper across the 10 primary producing countries of these materials.
• The Philippines is identified as the deadliest country in Asia for land and environmental defenders since 2012, with mining activities linked to one-third of all killings.
• In the Philippines, approximately 20% of the landmass is designated for mining, with 25% of that area overlapping with protected areas and key biodiversity sites, often threatening Indigenous communities.
• Global demand for transition minerals is projected to grow significantly between 2021 and 2028, with lithium increasing by over 300%, cobalt by over 100%, nickel by over 75%, and copper by over 25%.
• The author recommends that the EU ensure its minerals are sourced to high standards by screening Just Energy Transition Partnerships against international ESG aims, requiring funding recipients to join the International Responsible Mining Assurance, and embedding sustainability standards in trade deals.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). The EU must use trade deals to protect environmental defenders. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/the-eu-must-use-trade-deals-to-protect-environmental-defenders/

Chicago

Global Witness. The EU must use trade deals to protect environmental defenders. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/the-eu-must-use-trade-deals-to-protect-environmental-defenders/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=The EU must use trade deals to protect environmental defenders |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/the-eu-must-use-trade-deals-to-protect-environmental-defenders/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndmust, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{The EU must use trade deals to protect environmental defenders}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/the-eu-must-use-trade-deals-to-protect-environmental-defenders/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }