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This briefing by RMI reflects on Amory Lovins's 1976 'soft energy path' concept, arguing that modern challenges—including AI-driven electricity demand, critical mineral scarcity, and geopolitical instability—should be addressed through design, efficiency, and demand management rather than traditional supply-side infrastructure expansion.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of lithium in the energy transition, its global supply chain, extraction methods, and the environmental and social impacts associated with its production.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of cobalt as a critical mineral for the clean energy transition, detailing its applications in lithium-ion batteries, global distribution of reserves and production, and the significant human rights and environmental impacts associated with its extraction, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This statement argues that Africa must reclaim its development policy space within a fragmented global trading system to ensure the green transition enables industrialization rather than reinforcing historical patterns of extraction and unequal exchange.

This report analyzes the adaptation of Chinese critical mineral companies to global sustainability expectations, focusing on nickel processing in Indonesia. It identifies gaps between current Chinese ESG practices and international benchmarks and proposes policy recommendations for the Chinese government to improve sustainability standards and global supply chain alignment.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, developed with the ILO and UNDP, examines the risks that the increasing demand for critical minerals—specifically cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, and nickel—poses to gender equality. It argues that without deliberate gender-responsive safeguards, the expansion of mining can negatively impact the rights, health, and livelihoods of women, particularly those who are Indigenous or rural.

A statement by Natural Justice arguing that African nations must accelerate their transition to sovereign renewable energy systems to avoid the economic instability and foreign control caused by global conflicts and fossil fuel dependency.

This briefing argues that 'imperfect agreements'—instruments that are incomplete, transitional, or not fully formal—can be effective tools for promoting trade and sustainable development when multilateral consensus at the WTO is stalled. The author suggests that flexible, member-driven arrangements, such as targeted trade deals and soft law commitments, can generate state practice and serve as stepping stones toward formal legal codification and WTO reform.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the socioenvironmental governance of nickel mining in Indonesia, specifically focusing on the impacts of laterite ore processing via high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) and the associated policy measures.

This executive summary describes the risks that the accelerating demand for critical minerals poses to gender equality and women's rights, particularly for Indigenous and rural women. It outlines the drivers of these risks and provides three primary recommendations for governments and mining companies to mitigate impacts and promote gender equality in the energy transition.

This policy brief examines the United States government's recent shift toward using equity investments to secure critical mineral supply chains, particularly to reduce dependence on China. While these deals provide essential up-front capital and have catalyzed private investment, the author argues that equity alone is insufficient and must be paired with demand-side supports, such as price floors and offtake agreements, to ensure long-term market stability.

Friends of the Earth International issued a statement condemning United States-led imperialism and calling for an end to military aggression, genocide, and economic warfare to achieve global peace and environmental justice.

Friends of the Earth International issued a statement condemning US-led imperialism and military aggression, arguing that these actions drive environmental destruction, prolong the fossil fuel era, and violate international law. The organization calls for an end to wars in Iran and Palestine, the dismantling of corporate power, and the redirection of war funding toward global repair and social justice.

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the risks posed by LKAB's proposed Per Geijer mining project to the Gabna sameby. The study introduces a new human rights impact assessment (HRIA) methodology specifically adapted for Sami reindeer husbandry to evaluate how industrial projects affect indigenous rights to land and culture.

This report section analyzes the impact of commodity dependence on African economies, detailing the 'resource curse' where heavy reliance on raw material exports correlates with poor governance, political corruption, and slow economic growth. It contrasts the development trajectories of resource-rich and resource-poor nations and discusses the role of sovereign wealth funds and the global energy transition in shaping future demand.

This case study by RMI examines the financing of the Lionheart project in Germany, a first-of-a-kind industrial facility integrating geothermal power, lithium extraction from brines, and on-site lithium hydroxide production. The document details the €2.2 billion financing package closed in December 2025 and outlines ten financial and operational de-risking strategies used to attract international investors despite geopolitical uncertainty and volatile lithium prices.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes China's evolving role in Nigeria's clean energy transition. It details a shift from large-scale, debt-heavy infrastructure projects to smaller, commercially oriented 'BRI 2.0' initiatives focusing on distributed renewables, local manufacturing, and green hydrogen. The document outlines Nigeria's energy deficits, its policy targets for 2030 and 2060, and the strategic 'stacking' of Chinese, Western, and multilateral finance to achieve energy sovereignty and industrialization.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the geopolitical landscape of Africa in 2025, characterized by a shift toward a multipolar world. It examines the impact of US strategic retrenchment, the first G20 summit held on the continent, tensions in the Horn of Africa, and the strategic competition over critical minerals along the Lobito Corridor.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the geopolitical landscape of Africa in 2025, characterized by a shift toward a multipolar world order. It examines the impact of the second Trump administration's transactional approach to US-Africa relations, the outcomes of the first G20 summit held on the continent in South Africa, and the strategic competition over critical minerals along the Lobito Corridor. The document also details increasing instability in the Horn of Africa driven by global and regional power rivalries.

This report analyzes the governance of critical minerals for the energy transition in Chile, specifically copper and lithium. Using case studies from the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions, it evaluates the application of UN principles on equity and justice, identifying significant gaps in indigenous participation, water management, and the distribution of mining royalties. The document proposes a series of safeguards driven by civil society to ensure a more just and sustainable energy transition.