Multi-stakeholder analysis of the report of the United Nations Secretary General's Panel on Critical

The United Nations Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals was established on 26 April 2024, with the purpose of establishing ambitious principles and actionable recommendations for all actors involved in the critical minerals supply chain. As a result of more than four months of work by 40 experts, including country officials, civil society and industry, among others. Seven principles and five actionable recommendations were established.

Among the principles established by the panel of experts is the safeguarding of the integrity of the planet, its environment and biodiversity. Amid the urgent need for critical minerals for the energy transition, the governments of producing countries will be challenged to have very strong measures to face the climate crisis and meet the 2030 goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework to stop and reverse the loss of biodiversity. In particular, Goal 3: ensuring “30 percent of terrestrial and marine areas conserved” and Goal 7: “[r]educing pollution from all sources” are very relevant to the challenges involved in critical mineral supply.

Objective

The purpose of this event is to show the progress made by the panel in the area of “no-go areas”, or the recognition of areas which, despite having critical minerals, should not be exploited for their ecosystem value, as well as the challenges for positioning this prohibition in international scenarios and the challenges for ensuring compliance with these good practices.

Panelists

• Johana Rocha, Ministry of Mines and Energy
• Mauricio Cabrera, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development
• Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD
• John Lindberg, Head of Policy & Public Affairs of the International Council on Mining and Metals – ICMM.
• Nafi Chinery, Africa Director, NRGI

*Translation available