Exiting the Blind Spot: A Global Call for Equity in Mineral Value Chains at COP30
This is the transcript of the press briefing “Exiting the Blind Spot: A Global Call for Equity in Mineral Value Chains at COP30,” held on 13 October 2025 to coincide with the start of the Pre-COP meetings in Brasília.
During the event, speakers from Africa, Asia, and global civil society networks presented a joint open letter signed by more than 200 organizations calling on governments to put transition minerals—and the communities affected by their extraction—at the center of climate negotiations.
The letter urges Parties to the UNFCCC to recognize human rights, environmental protection, and equity in mineral value chains as pillars of climate action, and proposes the establishment of the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) within the UNFCCC to accelerate a holistic and just energy transition, particularly in mineral-producing countries.
Read the open letter
Watch the recording
Speakers included:
Ibrahima Aidara, Africa Deputy Director, Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
Angela Asuncion, Coordinator, Asia Pacific – Transition Mineral Accountability Working Group, Resource Justice Network (RJN)
Anabella Rosemberg, Senior Adviser on Just Transition, Climate Action Network (CAN) International
The following is a lightly edited transcript of the event, produced using automated transcription tools. While reviewed for clarity, it may contain minor inaccuracies.
Transcript
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everyone joining us from different parts of the world. My name is Gabriela Flores, and I'm with the Natural Resource Governance Institute. It's a pleasure to welcome you to today's press briefing, Exiting the Blind Spot, A Global Call for Equity in Mineral Value Chains at COP30. Thank you for taking the time to be here, especially as we head into a very, very busy week for climate diplomacy.
As the pre-COP meetings take place today and tomorrow in Brasília, which will gather ministers, negotiators, and observers to set the stage for COP30 in less than a month, 200 civil society organizations worldwide have released an open letter to all UNFCCC Parties urging governments to put transition minerals and affected communities at the heart of climate negotiations. A link to the letter should be available in the chat.
We're delighted to have with us three speakers who will share perspectives from across the regions and sectors on the issues raised in this letter, and what's going on at the pre-COP. First, we'll hear from Angela Asuncion, Coordinator for Asia-Pacific at the Transition Mineral Accountability Working Group, part of the Resource Justice Network (RJN), formerly known as Publish What You Pay. Angela will speak about the challenges linked to the exponential demand increase for transition minerals and the impact that this is having on communities across the Asia-Pacific region.
Next, we'll turn to Ibrahima Aidara, Africa Deputy Director here at NRGI. Ibrahima will highlight why multilateral action is essential, and what blind spots the COP negotiations must urgently address to ensure justice in mineral governance.
And thirdly, we'll hear from Anabella Rosemberg, who is the Senior Adviser on Just Transition at Climate Action Network (CAN) International. Anabella will talk to us about the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM), and explain how it can help embed justice and equity into the heart of the energy transition. And I should add that Anabella's joining us directly from Brasília, so a very early morning for her. Thank you very much for being with us. So, with that, let's get started. Angela, over to you.
Angela Asuncion:
Hi everyone, it's a great pleasure to be with you all today. Thank you so much to the organizers for bringing together this important press conference, and to all the media joining us today.
As mentioned, my name is Angela Asuncion, and I serve as the Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Transition Mineral Accountability Working Group. We're made up of civil society leaders across over 10 countries, working to ensure that mining-affected communities at the heart of the energy transition are empowered, protected, and benefit from shared prosperity.
And so, to begin, as we know, minerals underpin the shift to renewables. Yet corruption, regulatory capture, and corporate impunity in the mining sector risks reproducing the same colonial extractivist models of injustice under the banner of climate action.
The role of mining within the energy transition raises three key areas of concern.
The first is that the rush to mine these minerals intensifies long-standing and unresolved issues within the mining industry, such as corruption, Indigenous and human rights violations, environmental devastation, water scarcity, and gender-based violence. Since 2010, there have been over 600 documented cases of human rights abuses related to transition minerals.
And the surge in mineral demand has also intensified dispossession and land grabs, as nearly 70% of transition minerals sit on Indigenous lands.
The second is that transition minerals are also increasingly greenwashed. Business-as-usual mining has been expressed by industry as a solution to climate change, when in reality, mining is responsible for 8–28% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is known for widespread deforestation and destruction of critical climate-mitigating ecosystems and carbon sinks.
And a third key component is that geopolitical tensions are also on the rise as wealthy nations secure transition-mineral bilateral agreements with underdeveloped nations, which deepen inequalities and fuel ongoing exploitation of host communities.
So from extraction sites to end use, transition minerals expose layers of violence that extend far beyond climate solutions. While positioned as indispensable for renewable technology, mineral demand has also been absorbed into expanding defense technology. Militaries are responsible for 5.5% of global emissions, and rising defense expenditures under ongoing genocides and political rivalries risks diverting scarce mineral resources away from renewable energy.
And so at the national level, the role mining plays within exacerbating climate inequity is outlined in the Philippines in particular. The Philippines contributes 0.35% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet is recognized as the number one most climate-vulnerable country in the world under the 2025 World Risk Report.
The Philippines is also the world's second largest producer of nickel, essential for electric vehicles and renewable technologies.
And for the past decade, the Philippines are among the deadliest places in the world to be a land defender and activist, with mining being the most dangerous sector.
Here, Indigenous people have lost around 20% of their land to mining projects in just 30 years, with areas identified as protected carbon-rich watersheds.
And to date, the mining sector contributes less than 1% to the nation's GDP, with mining provinces host to the highest poverty incidence and energy insecurity.
So we must ask ourselves, who will the energy transition benefit, and who holds the justice in the just energy transition?
As the APTMA, we strongly endorse this open letter and initiative. As frontline communities face the double burden of climate crisis and extractive violence, Belém must take advantage of this moment to make history as the first COP to address the material dimensions of the Paris Agreements. Parties must ensure that human rights, environmental protection, and equity are upheld at every stage of the transition-mineral supply chain, so that the path to decarbonization becomes a path to dignity, justice, and shared prosperity for all.
We've also prepared an op-ed—if it's published shortly, we'll share the link in the chat and with media lists. I'm open to answering any questions after. Thank you so much for listening.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thank you very much, Angela. Without further ado, let me move to you, Ibrahima.
Ibrahima Aidara:
Thank you very much, Gabriela, and thank you for bringing African voice in this critical debate. And as Angela reminded us, the risks associated with the exponential demand for minerals are already materializing.
But there are also, in theory, important economic opportunities for low- and middle-income countries. And these are still out of reach under the current context and conditions.
History shows us that previous mining booms enriched only elites, both globally and locally, while leaving communities behind, as Angela reminded us. This time must be different.
Mineral demand could be transformative for producing countries, particularly in Africa. The rising demand for transition minerals could help diversify economies, create linkages and meet urgent energy needs.
Let's not forget that over 600 million Africans still lack access to reliable and affordable energy.
A just energy transition requires a new model. We must move away from the pit-to-port model, where raw materials are exported and value is created elsewhere. If we don't, we risk repeating cycles of inequality and missing opportunities.
For that to happen, African governments need strategic clarity and structural barriers to be addressed. Producing countries must define clear objectives based on robust and rigorous cost-benefit analysis.
They also need access to capital, technology, and the necessary policy space to implement industrial strategies, which are still denied to many in Africa.
However, the good news is that momentum is building across the continent.
The African Union Green Minerals Strategy, launched this year, offers a roadmap for sustainable industrialization, access to energy and economic development.
Countries like South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia are developing national critical-mineral strategies aligned with climate and energy goals.
What does this all have to do with COP30? Already, at COP28, Parties committed to tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
Achieving these goals depends on how we govern the minerals that make this transition possible.
So, minerals are the backbone of renewable technology.
But importantly, the transition must be just, or it won't be sustainable.
And we have a strong call on Parties at COP30.
The first step is to recognize that strengthening the governance of transition-mineral value chains is a pillar of any climate action.
Already, several Parties are acknowledging this.
At the Second Africa Climate Week in Addis Ababa, we heard a strong call for equitable mineral governance from Colombia (on behalf of AILAC) and South Africa, as two examples.
The G77 and China have called for an equitable approach to global mineral demand in their submission to the second dialogue of the response measures forum.
The African Group of Negotiators is actively working to ensure African countries benefit from powering the energy transition. Countries like Zimbabwe are developing a COP position that includes energy, minerals, and transition pathways.
The next step is to adopt a roadmap.
The UN Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which both NRGI and Climate Action Network served on, outlines a new paradigm rooted in justice and equity.
It involves producing countries, Indigenous people, and civil society, and represents a strong starting point for COP action. And we are calling for all Parties to endorse it.
Lastly, let's be clear: this is not about adding noise.
We are not asking COP to solve here and now everything—only to do its part and spear broader multilateral action. NRGI, Climate Action Network, and the Resource Justice Network have all been calling for inclusive action on transition minerals, centered on the voice of low- and middle-income countries and the communities most affected by mining operations.
The stakes are high, and we need principled leadership, and COP30 must break its silence on these critical issues and play a leading role in that space. Thank you, and I remain available for any clarification.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thank you so much, Ibrahima, for reminding us also of the positive steps that are being taken forward. With that, let me turn to you, Anabella.
Anabella Rosemberg:
Thank you, Gabriela, and yes—good evening, good afternoon, good morning for the ones in the Americas. It's only 6 in Brazil, so my apologies in advance for the most articulated press conference ever. Such an honor also being with Angela and Ibrahima, and their organizations, in what I think is a beautiful collaboration with more than 200 organizations and counting that are calling for the COP, as Ibrahima said, to take its responsibility and its share in moving forward with a governance of minerals that makes climate action progress in a way that is conducive to equity and justice.
So—most of the content has been given. Maybe a few more thoughts and elements to share with you all.
If, indeed, the conversation on transition minerals has been a bit in the corridors of the COP now for several years, it is only in the past year, I would say, that we've seen it come into the negotiation space, in particular thanks to the SG Panel. The fact that the panel on transition minerals was released at COP because of its importance and connection to delivering on the outcomes of the Global Stocktake, and the importance of tripling renewables and advancing energy efficiency.
But also because in the past couple of years, we have seen the development of what we call the Just Transition Work Programme, which is a space in which civil society has been putting a lot of effort so that we have at the COP a much stronger conversation about how we do ambitious climate action, and not only the fact that we need to do climate action. That how needs to anchor justice and equity, and that's what the just transition conversation allows us to bring. Not only how we transition away from fossil fuels, which is a critical part of climate action, but also how we transition in renewable energies, how we transition in a more electrified system with more batteries, but also how we transition food systems, how we do adaptation in a just way.
That work in the UNFCCC has been mainly based on dialogues for the past years, and of course dialogues are not enough.
So right now, civil society is gearing up to COP30, where one of our main demands under that Just Transition Work Programme is that we turn the dialogues—including the ones that have taken and discussed transition minerals—into a next level, which is a level of collective implementation.
And that is what we call the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) for a Global Just Transition, that should allow us to do what Ibrahima was outlining: we need a space where coordination happens, where initiatives come together, where resources that right now are scattered and fragmented around the world can be much more accessible for the countries that want to do economic diversification, that want to protect their communities in the transition.
All of that becomes much more accessible and fast, and also—very important for the transition-mineral debate—where we also address some of the barriers to poorer countries, communities benefiting much more from these new pathways that are open to them.
The Belém Action Mechanism is the name, I would say, for an ambition—which is that the climate governance space, that of course keeps engaging on key objectives of climate action, starts putting much more commitment on doing that implementation—carrying on with climate ambition by centering people and communities and the needs of the countries that right now don't have alternative pathways at their disposal.
Right now, that proposal is on the table, it's being discussed very heavily, and maybe, if we have a little moment, I can tell you a bit more about what's the conversation right here in Brasília with the pre-COP.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thank you so very much for that. I wonder now—we've got about 10 minutes left—if there are any questions from some of the friends from the media who are joining us on this call.
There is one from Chloé Farand, Climate Home News. Go ahead, Chloé—hopefully the mic is open for you.
Chloé Farand:
Great, thanks. Hi, hopefully you can hear me okay. Thank you so much for doing this—really great presentations. I just wanted to go a little bit more into the Belém Action Mechanism. I think, Anabella, you said you could go a bit more into the detail. Can you explain how you see this working in practice? How do we move from dialogue to having this mechanism? Would this be a presidency initiative, with Parties signing up to it—like we've seen in past years—or, concretely, how do you see this being taken on in Belém? Thank you.
Anabella Rosemberg:
Thank you so much, Chloé. For us, one of the key elements of the Belém Action Mechanism is that it's not a voluntary initiative. It's something that happens within the negotiation process—so it's a multilateral approach. What we are proposing is that we have in Belém the launch of this mechanism that implies a coordination entity that will have representation, of course, from Parties, but also from communities and from workers—nothing about us without us—as well as initiatives and organizations that work on just transition and are outside the UNFCCC right now. We know that we should have better coordination of just transition within the climate space, but also there are so many things happening outside that today are disconnected from our climate ambition that we need to bring on board.
So—first, a coordination entity that would allow better steering and guiding, in particular related to the principles that must be applied when we're talking about just transition, but also a better conversation about the barriers for advancing it. That is going to be supported by a really strong network of practitioners and organizations around the world working on just transition—all those that today are focal points in their countries, trying to make that happen, and are disconnected and fighting a little bit on their own and against the odds for accessing funding, capacity, technology, and support.
And then—two new elements in that architecture. One is an Action and Support function that would allow any country or community that wants to engage on just transition to get a single port of entry for accessing what resources are available, and to help them go faster in accessing climate finance, for example, when connected to their just transition plans. And then what already exists, which is the knowledge-sharing space—with more practices being shared, more learnings, more production of good case studies—and that is something the UNFCCC is already starting to do.
I think the most ambitious part is to get this system oriented towards action, but not necessarily as a voluntary thing that only a few countries do—within the system. That, for us, is critical so that access to support is not only for a happy few or just happening at the COP, but within a permanent body that allows the “how we do the transition” to be a permanent feature of the UNFCCC conversation. And we have a brief that I can share with you; I'll put the link in the chat.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thanks so much, Anabella, and Chloé for that question. We have another question in the Q&A box from Hannah Fernandez from Eco-Business. She wants to know if Angela can expand on the transition minerals’ impact on Southeast Asia, and why it's critical that COP30 discusses this issue. Over to you, Angela.
Angela Asuncion:
Thank you so much, Hannah, for that great question. So, in the region—before we speak about Southeast Asia—the Asia-Pacific hosts some of the world's largest mineral reserves necessary to transition and decarbonize globally. The region produces 54.6% of nickel and remains host to one-third of the global mineral resources, including 60% of the world's reserves of rare earth metals.
And on top of this, when we talk about climate inequity—aligning with the increasing demand for mining for transition minerals—six of the ten countries most affected by climate-induced natural disasters are in the Asia-Pacific. As mining increases in demand to meet renewable energy targets, it will also increase deforestation and the destruction of critical climate-mitigating ecosystems and carbon sinks across the Asia-Pacific region.
Most of the world's transition minerals are found in corruption-prone jurisdictions, including large deposits of nickel and rare earths located in Asia-Pacific nations such as the Philippines and Indonesia. And, like we mentioned, transition-mineral-rich nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines are also recognized among the deadliest places in the world to be a land defender and activist, with mining being the most dangerous sector. With the increasing demand for mining, all of these issues will only become more intensified.
I also wanted to highlight the role that China plays as a key player we need to keep in mind. China holds 78% of the world's cell manufacturing capacity for electric vehicle batteries, hosts 75% of the world's lithium-ion battery megafactories, and produces most of the world's mineral-rich components for battery cells. Indonesia, in particular, is also a key player in the energy transition, producing the world's largest deposits of nickel, with a majority of Indonesian nickel mines, processing sites, and supply deals controlled by Chinese interests.
And so—when we talk about COP30, we also need to look forward to COP31, as we know there's strong potential for Australia to host COP31. The Asia-Pacific is a significant player not only in this year's climate negotiations but in next year's as well, given the pivotal role the region plays in driving international norms and standards for transition-mineral processing and battery technologies.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thank you. Thanks so much, Angela. We have another question from Jesse Chase-Lubitz from Devex, who's wondering about what work we're doing in multilaterals. Anabella, I'll hand that over to you.
Anabella Rosemberg:
Thank you, Gaby. We see the importance of bringing many international institutions that are funding so-called just transition initiatives. We are quite critical about what the MDBs are doing—and with the World Bank and IMF annual meetings starting this week, this is a particularly important question.
We think that multilateral development banks should be building much more strongly on the principles that will come out from COP on just transition. They have to organize their work with UNFCCC imperatives in mind, as well as stronger rights language that we have in this space to define just transition.
When it comes to BAM, getting clear about who will have a seat where will take a bit of time. For us, what's critical in Belém is that the principles, the functions, and the idea that—on top of the UNFCCC—we will have Parties, other international organizations, and civil society within different groupings (Indigenous peoples, trade unions, communities, women and gender, etc.)—all those actors having a seat at the table—is a critical one to call for.
And yes, we need to figure out—in the next month—what is going to be the level of commitment of these banks to join a multilateral initiative where they don't necessarily lead, but accept to support something that is much more justice- and equity-based when it comes to just transition. Many of these actors are working on just transition; what we are expecting now is that they converge in this broader space that is seeking to advance an equity and justice framework in moving ahead with climate action.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thanks very much, Anabella. There's now a question from Clarkni Chong-Hale from Context for Ibrahima—about how the Africa Green Minerals Strategy will feed into this move to develop better just transition policies on critical minerals. Over to you, Ibrahima.
Ibrahima Aidara:
Thank you, Gabriela, and thank you for the important question. In addition to the African strategy, we're seeing encouraging signs across the continent, as I mentioned. Building on the African Climate Summit, we've seen the Ethiopian Prime Minister clearly mention the transition and the role of minerals at the UN Climate Summit, and we’ve also seen African Heads of State explicitly recognizing the need for a just mineral supply chain in their declaration.
The African Group of Negotiators, building on this strategy and under the leadership of Tanzania, is developing a common position, which is very important—particularly to have a common position on the continent so we are not fragmented.
That will play a critical role in having a big, continental voice. I also mentioned Zimbabwe developing a position toward COP. All this should be put together and put on the table, and start building alliances with other Parties so they can have a strong coalition to push this reform forward. We believe this will be very helpful with allies like Brazil and other BASIC group Parties to support them in order to make this proposal happen at COP30. Thank you.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thank you very much for that, Ibrahima. I think there was a follow-up question from Chloé on the Belém Action Mechanism, which Anabella is kindly typing in. We are running out of time, but before I send you all on your way, I just wanted to ask the panel for maybe a very quick sense of what to expect on minerals as we head towards Belém. There are many countries in particular, or groups, pushing these agendas—we’ve heard. What should our friends in the media be on the lookout for when it comes to minerals now as we approach Belém? Shall I start with you, perhaps, Ibrahima?
Ibrahima Aidara:
I think what we should expect—and what we are going for—is for the Parties to endorse particularly the UN Secretary-General's Panel recommendations. We want to see minerals at the center of the agenda. This is the minimum expectation from us at COP related to mineral transitioning.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thanks, Ibrahima. What about an Asia-Pacific perspective, Angela?
Angela Asuncion:
Thanks so much, Gabriela. For us in the Asia-Pacific, we see that the issue of mining injustice will become a climate injustice issue as well, and it'll be at the forefront of climate discussions now—and, hopefully, moving forward with the climate negotiations. We need to understand that an intersectional and holistic approach to mining and transition-mineral demand needs to be taken, alongside the realities of frontline local and Indigenous communities that face the double burden of climate crisis and extractive violence. As we talk about addressing the material dimensions of the Paris Agreement, we need to talk about putting equity and human rights at the core of climate action and climate negotiations. I'm hoping that governments and Parties at COP30 will begin to address this.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thanks, Angela. And before we let you join the pre-COP meetings, Anabella, any final words from you?
Anabella Rosemberg:
Thank you, Gabriela. Yes—for us, what we are seeking is, of course, that all the principles agreed on just transition apply explicitly to transition minerals: human rights, Indigenous peoples’ rights, the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), inclusion, economic diversification, and international cooperation. All those key parameters of a just transition need to be explicitly applied to transition minerals—and through the endorsement of the SG Panel, and through decisions that future work would cover transition minerals, that would be a way to do it. And of course, we want these principles to be taken to reality. For that, we need the BAM, the Belém Action Mechanism, because we need this process to do more than talks.
I think there is an expectation, at a time when multilateralism is in a very dire situation, to show that we are centering people and communities, and that governments want to have a different conversation about how we move with climate action—one that benefits everyone.
Gabriela Flores, NRGI:
Thank you so much, Anabella, and with that, I think I'm going to thank our three speakers—Angela, Ibrahima, Anabella—for their time and insights, and to all our friends from the media who have joined us. For any further queries, I put my contacts in the chat, and let's keep on pushing this very important agenda over the next few weeks and at COP30 itself. Thank you very much, everyone, and have a good rest of your week!
Anabella Rosemberg: Thank you so much, Gabriela.
Ibrahima Aidara: Thank you.
Angela Asuncion: Take good care, everyone. Thank you.