No Just Transition Without Just Minerals: Bonn Climate Talks Press briefing

I will develop the view on Latin America, touching on the Amazon and Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights. Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement ten years ago, we have seen global demand for certain minerals climb, especially those that are at use in renewable energy technologies. This, of course, has created greater pressure on Latin American countries like Peru, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, who rely heavily on destructive industries for their economic development.

The rising demand of transition minerals could deepen the supply-demand gap. And this is very important for our countries because we are rich in mineral resources, but this also positions our countries in a strategic role as actors in the global efforts for decarbonization. But to maximize the benefits and mitigate the risks, strong governance, long-term vision and, more generally, just transitions are essential and this requires a real paradigm shift.

What I mean is that a truly just transition requires more than an energy matrix swap from fossil fuels to renewable energies. It demands a structural transformation to address inequality, exclusion and environmental degradation, rethinking the underlying models of production, consumption and energy governance. So global negotiations on transition minerals are especially essential to align climate ambition with equity and justice principles.

Beyond addressing and minimizing the risks of the energy transition, investing in processing, transformation and material recycling in-country could help countries boost new jobs, create more revenue and energy security. Value addition is an opportunity for economic diversification, and this lies at the heart of a just energy transition. As Latin American countries, we have developed depending on raw materials, but we have not developed any value additions for our industries.

And just to discuss the Amazon, which I think it is very important considering that COP30 will take place in Brazil, the impacts are even more critical in this region. The Amazon is known for its rich biodiversity and cultural heritage, but also it holds significant non-renewable natural resources like minerals. The exploitation of which has led to environmental degradation and social conflict, particularly affecting Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights.

The Amazon is nearing a tipping point where it can switch from a global carbon sink to a net source of emissions, so the energy transition will place increased pressure on the Amazon biome. Recognizing the establishment of no-go zones, for example, areas where extractive industries are prohibited can be a critical step. These zones should prioritize high biodiversity areas, fragile ecosystems and Indigenous territories, especially those territories of Indigenous Peoples in isolation and initial contact.

And just to discuss Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and it's connected to the paradigm shift that I was mentioned earlier. Indigenous Peoples' participation should contribute to reversing historical inequities and transform the structures that have long marginalized them by recognizing and integrating their perspectives and knowledge in mineral management and the energy transition.

In this context, free prior and informed consent is not only a fundamental and collective right, but is also a key tool to ensure that our voices are meaningfully heard and respected. But it is important how we implement this—how Latin American countries can regulate this right to make sure that it helps Indigenous Peoples speak their mind and provide a vision of how they want to develop and how they want mineral resources to be used.

And another critical point I wanted to mention is that environmental and social debt left by decades of mining and other economic activities relying on nonrenewable resources—especially in the Amazon—has created strong impacts and environmental liabilities in the territory. And Indigenous Peoples are the ones who are living with the environmental and health consequences of these environmental liabilities.

I come from Peru. Peru has relied on mining activities for several decades. It's still now the most important economic activity in our country. But we have a very important debt of environmental liabilities from the mining industry. Still, we have measures of how many we have and where they are located, but we still don't have enough resources to repair the areas and repair the harm created by the activity.

And we are now discussing renewable energies. There is again intensive demand on our mineral resources, especially copper and lithium, which are also located in Latin American territories. So this is something we need to discuss. There cannot be a just transition—or even a viable transition—if we don't discuss the harms created over decades in these territories and how we will finance their repair and include Indigenous Peoples in this management.