UN launches initiative to protect minerals essential for energy transition

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced on Friday the creation of a group of experts on minerals essential for the energy transition.

This initiative brings together a diverse group of governments, organizations and UN agencies to develop a set of common, voluntary principles to protect environmental and social standards aimed at integrating equity into the energy transition, the international organization said in a press release .

Speaking at the group’s launch, Mr Guterres noted that “a world powered by renewable energy is a world hungry for essential minerals.”

For developing countries, this new demand represents a great opportunity to create new jobs, diversify economies and significantly increase incomes, he continued, emphasizing that this requires effective management.

“The renewable energy revolution is underway, but we must ensure that it happens in a way that moves us toward justice,” he stressed.

Mr Guterres announced his intention to establish this group at the COP28 climate summit, held in Dubai last December. It is expected to make initial recommendations before the UN General Assembly’s high-level week in September.

According to the UN, demand for essential minerals for renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing as the climate crisis worsens.

According to the United Nations Trade and Development Agency (UNCTAD), demand for lithium, for example, which is needed for the production of batteries, electronic devices and high-efficiency electric vehicles, is expected to increase by more than 1,500%.

According to the same source, similar growing demand is expected for nickel, cobalt and copper.

With CARD