Voices of impacted communities for the UNSG Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

This briefing by Trend Asia argues that the UN Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals lacks representation from communities directly impacted by the mining and processing of transition minerals. The document highlights the negative environmental and social consequences of 'green extractivism' in Argentina, Indonesia, and Guinea, and provides a set of recommendations for governments and companies to safeguard human rights and environmental standards.

• In the Salinas Grandes and Laguna de Guayatayoc basin of Argentina, lithium mining is conducted without Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), despite the existence of a community-developed FPIC procedure called Kachi Yupi. Local authorities have reduced regulations to facilitate company entry, allowing projects to proceed based on environmental assessments that ignore cumulative impacts on the watershed.
• Lithium extraction in Argentina's Jujuy province consumes millions of litres of water, leading to the depletion of freshwater aquifers, salinisation, and contamination of water sources. These impacts threaten the livelihoods of Kolla and Atacama indigenous communities by reducing agricultural productivity and damaging ancestral territories.
• The nickel industry in Indonesia, particularly in North Maluku and Sulawesi, is linked to severe environmental degradation and social harm. The Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Central Sulawesi uses 'captive coal' power plants that contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.
• Nickel downstreaming activities in Indonesia have resulted in health risks for residents and workers, including respiratory issues from hauling dust and fatalities due to inadequate safety equipment and long working hours. Affected communities also face land disputes, forced evictions, and criminalisation.
• Bauxite mining in Guinea's Boké region by the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG)—a joint venture involving Rio Tinto, Alcoa, and the Guinean government—has led to the loss of agricultural and grazing land without consent or adequate compensation. The mining has caused dust pollution and destroyed traditional water springs.
• In Guinea, 13 communities filed a complaint in 2019 against the International Finance Corporation (IFC) regarding a $200 million loan to CBG, alleging a lack of effective redress and mitigation measures. While a dispute resolution process is ongoing, the document states that most harms remain unaddressed.
• The briefing recommends that the UNSG Panel ensure governments and companies protect Indigenous Peoples' right to self-determination and FPIC, end the criminalisation of human rights defenders, and eliminate the use of fossil fuels in mineral extraction and processing.

APA

Trend Asia (2024). Voices of impacted communities for the UNSG Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Voices-briefing_final-1.pdf

Chicago

Trend Asia. Voices of impacted communities for the UNSG Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. 2024. https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Voices-briefing_final-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Trend Asia |title=Voices of impacted communities for the UNSG Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals |date=2024 |url=https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Voices-briefing_final-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trendasia2024voices, author = {{Trend Asia}}, title = {{Voices of impacted communities for the UNSG Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals}}, institution = {Trend Asia}, year = {2024}, url = {https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Voices-briefing_final-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }