Critical Minerals at a Critical Moment

The report finds that approximately 7% of energy transition mineral mines overlap with Key Biodiversity Areas, affecting an area roughly twice the size of Belgium. While this impact is smaller than that of fossil fuel extraction, the report warns of significant risks to biodiversity and Indigenous rights, advocating for nature-positive spatial planning, circular economy practices, and responsible mining standards to mitigate these harms.

• Approximately 7.0% of all energy transition mineral (ETM) mines overlap with Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), which equates to 980 out of 14,024 mines. This overlap is higher for currently operating mines (8.6%) than for those in the exploration phase (6.7%).
• The direct land area affected by ETM projects overlapping with KBAs is 59,747 km², a size described as roughly twice that of Belgium. Africa is the most impacted continent with over 20,000 km² of overlap, followed by Oceania with around 19,000 km².
• Copper mining has the largest footprint among ETMs, with 754 projects (7% of all copper mines) intersecting KBAs. A significant portion of these are located in Central and South America, specifically within the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests.
• The environmental and spatial impact of ETM mining is significantly lower than that of the fossil fuel economy. A 2023 study indicates that a rapid transition to clean energy by 2050 could reduce the total actively mined area globally by 25%.
• ETM supply chains are highly concentrated, which limits the ability to enforce responsible practices. China dominates refining and processing, controlling 65% of lithium, 76% of cobalt, and 90% of rare earth element refining capacity as of 2022.
• Mining for the energy transition poses substantial risks to Indigenous Peoples, with a University of Queensland study finding that 54% of required minerals are located on or near Indigenous lands. In the US, high percentages of ETM reserves (e.g., 97% of nickel and 89% of copper) are within 35 miles of Native American reservations.
• Circular economy practices could drastically reduce the need for new mining. Recycling could potentially reduce the demand for new mining by up to 40% by 2050, though currently only about 5% of EV batteries are recycled.

APA

Izquierdo, P., Meehan, C., Rouse, H., & Tibaldeschi, P. (2025). Critical Minerals at a Critical Moment. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/482/2252zt9wej_Critical_Minerals_Report_FINAL_May_2025_1_.pdf

Chicago

Izquierdo, Pablo, Colin Meehan, Hana Rouse, and Paolo Tibaldeschi. Critical Minerals at a Critical Moment. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/482/2252zt9wej_Critical_Minerals_Report_FINAL_May_2025_1_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Izquierdo |first1=Pablo |last2=Meehan |first2=Colin |last3=Rouse |first3=Hana |last4=Tibaldeschi |first4=Paolo |title=Critical Minerals at a Critical Moment |publisher=WWF International |date=2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/482/2252zt9wej_Critical_Minerals_Report_FINAL_May_2025_1_.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{izquierdo2025critical, author = {Izquierdo, Pablo and Meehan, Colin and Rouse, Hana and Tibaldeschi, Paolo}, title = {{Critical Minerals at a Critical Moment}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/482/2252zt9wej_Critical_Minerals_Report_FINAL_May_2025_1_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }