Exiting the Blind Spot: A Global Call for Equity in Mineral Value Chains at COP30

As world leaders gather in Brasilia for the Pre-COP meetings, more than 200 civil society organizations from around the world are issuing an open letter to Parties to the UNFCCC calling for governments to put transition minerals and the communities affected by their extraction at the heart of climate negotiations. They ask negotiators to recognize human rights, environmental protection and equity in mineral value chains as central pillars of climate action, outlining concrete steps to ensure the energy transition delivers justice, transparency and shared prosperity. The letter proposes the Belem Action Mechanism (BAM) as a new institutional arrangement within the UNFCCC to accelerate, consolidate and achieve a holistic Just Transition, including in mineral-producing countries.

Transition minerals remain a major blind spot in international climate negotiations. Civil society voices are warning that the clean energy transition risks reproducing the injustices of the past. Without strong safeguards, expanded mining could mean more pressure on land and water, more human rights violations, and deeper inequalities both within mineral-rich countries and between the Global North and South.

Read the full transcript of the 13 October press briefing.

Speakers

• Ibrahima Aidara, Africa Deputy Director, Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
• Angela Asuncion, Coordinator, Asia Pacific - Transition Mineral Accountability Working Group - Resource Justice Network, Resource Justice Network (RJN)
• Anabella Rosemberg, Senior Adviser on Just Transition, Climate Action Network (CAN) International

Key quotes from the press briefing (13 October 2025)

Anabella Rosemberg, Senior Adviser on Just Transition, Climate Action Network (CAN) International:

“At COP30, we have the possibility of moving from ten years of talk on just transition to ten years of implementation. We believe this is the right venue for discussing equity and justice in the context of increasing demand for transition minerals. This is about economic diversification, adding value in resource-rich countries, and building a pathway to prosperity that respects the rights of people, workers, and communities. The establishment of the Belem Action Mechanism at COP30 would be a concrete step toward cooperation and equity in how these resources are governed.”

Angela Asuncion, Coordinator, Asia Pacific - Transition Mineral Accountability Working Group - Resource Justice Network, Resource Justice Network (RJN):

"Transition mineral-rich nations such as the Philippines remain among the world's most climate-vulnerable and deadliest places for land defenders and activists, with the mining sector posing the gravest threats. The insatiable demand for mining under the guise of the energy transition only heightens the risk of violence for those courageously protecting their livelihoods and our future. 

Parties at COP30 have an opportunity to make history as the first to confront the material dimensions of the Paris Agreement. Now is the moment for transformative action to ensure that human rights, environmental protection and equity are upheld at every stage of the mineral supply chain. The path to decarbonization must lead to dignity, justice and shared prosperity for all."

Ibrahima Aidara, Africa Deputy Director, Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI):

“Africa’s role in the global supply chain for transition minerals has largely been confined to raw material extraction, with limited value addition or local job creation. But for African producing countries, the rising demand for these minerals could help diversify economies and meet urgent energy needs.

We see everything in place for the Africa Group of Negotiators, under Tanzania's leadership, to adopt specific proposals strengthening the global governance of transition minerals ahead of COP30. They should table these proposals, starting today at the Pre-COP in Brasilia, and reach out to other Party groupings. We need leadership, the stakes are high.”

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
Gabriela Flores, gflores@resourcegovernance.org, +447931924934 (WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram)