Search Climate Insights Directory

A collaborative project between Svemin and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) used exploratory scenarios to develop a sustainability roadmap for the Swedish mining sector, identifying 31 key action points to navigate the sector toward a sustainable future by 2050.

The report 'Uncalculated Risks' examines how development finance institutions (DFIs) often fail to account for human rights risks, leading to the stigmatization, criminalization, and physical attack of human rights defenders. Through 25 case studies across various countries and sectors, it argues that DFIs frequently rely on inadequate client reporting and overlook the enabling environment for public participation. The document provides a 'Leverage Toolbox' and a 'Reprisal Prevention and Response Process' to help DFIs move toward a human rights-based approach to development.

The report analyzes 38 ISDS cases brought by mining companies against Latin American states, highlighting a systemic bias that favors corporate profits over human rights and environmental laws. It documents how these suits often target government measures resulting from community resistance or environmental regulations, creating a 'chilling effect' on public policy. The document details specific cases in countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, and Venezuela, and proposes a fundamental shift toward a legal framework that prioritizes human rights and environmental protection over investor rights.

The report argues that the proposed Boliden copper mine in Laver would effectively end traditional Sami reindeer herding for the Semisjaur Njarg community by destroying critical winter pastures. Through scenario analysis, the document demonstrates that the mine would force herders into either unsustainable 'reindeer farming' based on artificial feeding or the total abandonment of the area, both of which threaten intergenerational succession and the survival of the critically endangered Pite Sami language. The report further highlights a systemic failure in the Swedish permitting process to recognize indigenous property rights and the cumulative effects of multiple land encroachments, such as wind farms and forestry, which leave the community at a breaking point.

South Africa's National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) acts as its National Adaptation Plan (NAP), aiming for a climate-resilient transition through a country-driven process involving 11 sectors and three spheres of government. The strategy addresses the expectation that climate change will exacerbate poverty and service access, with projections indicating drastic temperature increases—potentially over 6°C in some interior regions under low mitigation—and uncertain rainfall patterns.

The document argues that public participation is essential for achieving sustainable development goals, as it provides local knowledge and increases the legitimacy of decisions. It distinguishes between 'invited spaces' (formal state-led processes) and 'created spaces' (citizen-led mobilization), noting that these often interact to influence policy. However, the authors warn that without intentional design to address social injustice, participation can reinforce existing inequalities and be hindered by technocratic exclusion.

The Pretoria High Court set aside a decision by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Mineral Resources to allow Atha-Africa Ventures 16 (Pty) Ltd to mine in the Mabola Protected Environment, citing procedural unfairness, lack of transparency, and failure to apply environmental management principles.

The document analyzes the volatile political climate in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ahead of the December 2018 elections. It highlights the systematic elimination of political competition by the ruling party, deep distrust in the electoral commission (CENI), and the persistent insecurity in the eastern DRC. The authors present four scenarios: a worst-case scenario of election cancellation leading to violence, a win by the ruling party's candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (either as a puppet for Joseph Kabila or as an independent leader), a contested win legitimized by a biased judiciary, and a popular opposition victory. The paper emphasizes that the DRC's vast mineral wealth, particularly cobalt, sustains international interest but also fuels internal instability and patronage networks. It recommends that SADC and the AU maintain pressure on the government to ensure a credible election and prepare for potential wide-scale violence.

The briefing highlights the dual role of the mining industry in the energy transition, noting its necessity in providing raw materials for low-carbon technologies while remaining a significant source of global emissions. It advocates for the adoption of science-based targets, the use of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, and the cocreation of a comprehensive decarbonization pathway to mitigate physical and financial climate risks.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a response on 16 July 2018 to the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality, reiterating objections to a land-use change application for a proposed mine. The CER argues that the subject property is a high-priority conservation area and that the Municipality has the legal authority and obligation under the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) to consider environmental and water impacts, despite claims to the contrary by the applicant's agent.

The document analyzes Zimbabwe's transition following the ousting of Robert Mugabe, focusing on the 2018 general elections. It argues that while Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF are likely to win, the legitimacy of the process is crucial for unlocking foreign investment and implementing economic reforms. The author suggests a 'pragmatic' economic approach, citing Cote d'Ivoire as a positive model for recovery through IMF engagement and market-friendly policies, while warning against the political instability seen in Egypt. Key priorities identified include addressing the $9 billion debt, stabilizing the currency, and re-engaging with Western partners and the IMF.

Mining operations, particularly in developing countries, suffer from extreme energy inefficiencies, with diesel power often converting only 12 percent of energy into measurable work. Transitioning to renewable energy like solar and wind can reduce costs—which can account for up to 30 percent of total expenditures—and help companies secure a "social license to operate" by providing energy access to remote communities. Examples include Rio Tinto's solar plant in Australia and Windiga Energy's project in Burkina Faso. RMI and the Development Partner Institute are facilitating the creation of innovative business models to coordinate the complex interests of mining companies, communities, and multilaterals.

The report examines the Lephalale Local Municipality's struggle to establish local governance and self-sufficiency in the wake of the Medupi coal power station project. It analyzes how the municipality, historically dependent on corporations like Eskom and Exxaro, navigates the complexities of land ownership, basic service infrastructure, and the influence of private capital and party politics to realize its ambition of becoming a post-apartheid city.

Earthjustice, Earthworks, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) submitted a statement to the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council urging the rejection of a proposal to add mining as a covered sector under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). The organizations argue that mining's unique environmental risks and the existing efficiency of U.S. permitting make the expedited processes of FAST-41 inappropriate and dangerous.

The report asserts that CETA facilitates trade expansion by reducing regulatory burdens, which leads to the harmonization of regulations toward the lowest common denominator and the elimination of precautionary measures. It highlights four areas of concern: domestic regulatory disciplines that limit licensing authority, increased pressure from Canadian mining companies on Greek regulations, vulnerabilities in EU industrial pollution controls, and the restriction of Member States' ability to regulate toxic pesticides.

The author identifies three critical areas for reform under President Cyril Ramaphosa's leadership: restoring the rule of law to combat state capture, reforming the management of state-owned enterprises to spur economic growth, and investing in education to address a 39% youth unemployment rate. The text highlights the potential of South Africa's chrome and manganese deposits for the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' and suggests that domestic stability will allow the country to reassert its regional influence and leverage memberships in groups like BRICS.

The document argues that the right to participate in public affairs must be centrally linked to self-determination and access to information, particularly regarding environmental decisions and international investment treaties. It highlights the systemic marginalization of rural women and ethnic communities, the criminalization of human rights defenders, and the lack of transparency in Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms. CIEL recommends that the guidelines mandate public participation in the initial decision to invite foreign investment, the negotiation of investment contracts, and the settlement of disputes to prevent corporate interests from overriding public interest laws and human rights.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Canadian government to enact Bill C-262, which would implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). CAPE argues that UNDRIP is essential for environmental justice and health, noting that Indigenous peoples in Canada face disproportionate environmental risks, including limited access to safe drinking water and the cumulative negative impacts of resource extraction such as fracking, mining, and hydroelectric dams.

The statement outlines a roadmap for South Africa's recovery, emphasizing the need to combat state capture and corruption to restore the rule of law. It specifically highlights the necessity of restructuring Eskom, finalizing renewable energy contracts, and leveraging critical minerals for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive economic growth and job creation.

The document outlines the process of declaring 'free territories' as a political practice of autonomy and self-determination. It provides a framework for preventive and reactive strategies, emphasizing the need for information dissemination, network organization, and propositional agendas to protect territories from extractivist models and corporate appropriation. The guide details specific regional examples, including mining-free zones in Mesoamerica, gasfield-free communities in Australia, and GMO-free regions in Europe and Costa Rica.