COP29: Urgent Call for Justice – Prevent the Greed-driven Energy Transition from Crushing the Vulnerable
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed a significant challenge at a roundtable discussion, emphasizing the need to steer the global energy transition toward justice. He called on participants to contribute to his Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, launched at COP28 in the UAE. The panel aims to unite governments, international organizations, industry, and civil society to create guiding principles for sustainable extraction practices. Guterres highlighted the surge in investments in renewables, noting that demand for critical minerals is set to rise as countries aim to triple global renewable capacity by 2030. Although resource-rich developing nations have the potential for prosperity, he warned that they often fall victim to greed that exploits communities, tramples rights, and harms environments.
Acknowledging this harsh reality, the panel issued a report outlining seven voluntary principles and five actionable recommendations to promote justice and equity throughout mineral value chains. These proposals aim to empower communities, ensure accountability, and encourage equitable growth, particularly by maximizing value within resource-rich developing countries. The UN is committed to supporting these initiatives and will collaborate with member states to establish a recommended High-Level Expert Advisory Group to expedite action on benefit-sharing and fair trade.
Guterres emphasized that developing countries will lead this initiative, with indigenous peoples, local communities, civil society, and industry engaging alongside governments. An essential step forward is the global framework for traceability and accountability in mineral value chains, ensuring responsible production and safeguarding human rights. He urged leaders across sectors to join this mission, emphasizing that as demand for transition minerals grows, so must actions towards justice and equity.
Original Story https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2024/11/1156881
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