COP31 has opened today in Antalya, Türkiye. The Türkiye presidency’s Action Agenda puts clean energy and green industrialization at the centre and promises “Low-carbon industrial pathways that support development, competitiveness, and just transition”. Critical minerals and human rights are not mentioned anywhere in the Action Agenda.
The transition depends on them, though. Copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths go into every battery, wind turbine and grid connection, and demand is growing fast. The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) has tracked more than 1,200 allegations of human rights and environmental abuse linked to the extraction of transition minerals since 2010. Without due diligence, the “green” transition risks repeating the land dispossession, pollution and exclusion of earlier extractive booms.
The human cost behind the green energy transition
The allegations follow a familiar pattern: communities lose access to clean water, Indigenous Peoples are not properly consulted or asked for their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), and agreements with local communities are not kept. Workers face unsafe conditions, and human rights defenders who speak up face threats and violence. In South America, which holds vast reserves of copper and lithium, BHRRC’s latest briefing describes all of these, along with a wave of lawsuits against companies and states.
The people most affected are the communities, Indigenous Peoples and workers who live and work near mines and refineries. Their lives and livelihoods are what is at stake in whether this transition is just.
Why critical minerals due diligence matters for companies buying and financing the transition
Car makers, renewable energy developers, utilities, electronics brands and investors are usually many steps away from the mine. That distance no longer protects them. Supply chain due diligence under the EU Batteries Regulation starts in 2027, the same year the EU Forced Labour Regulation (EUFLR) begins to apply. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) follows in 2029.
There is also a plain business case. When consultation fails, projects are delayed, permits are challenged and supply becomes less secure. Companies that understand the human rights risks in their mineral supply chains are better placed to secure the materials they need for their own transition plans.
A good place to start is to pick one transition mineral in your products, trace it as far back as you can, and ask whether the voices of the people affected are part of your risk assessment. For most companies, the honest answer is not yet.
Stakeholder engagement is where solutions led by people begin
A just energy transition cannot be designed only in negotiating rooms or procurement departments. It has to be shaped together with the people it affects. Just transition calls for fair negotiations with communities and workers throughout a project’s life, inclusive consultation, FPIC for Indigenous Peoples, decent work and social protection for workers, and protection for workers and community leaders against intimidation.
For companies, meaningful stakeholder engagement is how this works in practice. It turns a desk-based risk assessment into one that reflects what affected people actually experience, and it helps companies find out early where they need to act.
Make your transition just, starting in your supply chain
COP31 will hopefully produce new commitments on clean energy. Whether the transition is just will depend partly on what companies do in their own supply chains. We help companies map stakeholders and build safe, meaningful engagement into their due diligence and impact assessments, so risk assessments truly reflect affected people’s experiences.
Contact us to discuss your critical minerals supply chain: info@enact.se