UNEA-7 delegates and scientists have sounded a warning over the soaring environmental, industrial and human rights risks tied to critical minerals driving the clean-energy transition. As demand for lithium, cobalt and other key materials surges, experts urge stronger global safeguards and accountability.
As the global shift to clean energy accelerates, UN scientists and delegates have warned that the minerals powering the transition, lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earth elements, carry mounting risks that countries are failing to manage.
At the 7th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), held from 8–12 December 2025 in Nairobi, experts said the world urgently needs stronger safeguards for the full lifecycle of critical energy transition minerals (CETMs). These materials are essential for renewable power systems, batteries and electrification, yet their extraction, processing, transport, recycling and disposal pose significant environmental and industrial threats.
Delegates noted that inadequate oversight can lead to major industrial accidents, contamination, ecosystem damage and severe health impacts for nearby communities. They also highlighted rising social risks, including labour abuses and displacement linked to mining operations.
A UNEA-7 side event titled “Managing Environmental, Industrial and Social Risks of Critical Energy Transition Minerals” underscored how global policy frameworks and technical tools could help governments and industries strengthen resilience while pursuing a just and sustainable transition. Speakers urged states to integrate environmental protection, industrial safety and human rights into CETM governance in line with the assembly’s theme: “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet.”
The UN Human Rights Council has already documented 630 allegations of abuses related to mining seven key transition minerals between 2010 and 2023. Demand is expected to rise six-fold by 2040, though experts warn that some projections may be overstated and could even contradict climate-mitigation goals.
Delegates said that without urgent reforms, the minerals needed for a cleaner future could themselves become sources of new environmental harm and inequality.
