The global rush for minerals crucial to the clean energy transition is being linked to a surge in environmental damage, rights violations and rising social conflict across Africa, according to new analysis.
Almost one in three allegations of human rights and environmental abuses globally were on the continent and linked to mining for minerals critical for electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines, according to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s Transition Minerals Tracker.
In total the Tracker identified more than 156 allegations of abuse worldwide in 2024, with Africa as the region posting the second highest number behind Latin America.
The allegations include attacks on workers’ rights, water pollution, unsafe working conditions and land grabs in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Madagascar, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
All relate to the mining of copper, cobalt, lithium, bauxite, manganese, nickel, zinc and Iron – key minerals needed for the most important technologies underpinning renewable energy, electric vehicles and electrification.
Launching the latest analysis of the Transition Mineral Tracker, Caroline Avan, Head of Just Transition and Natural Resources at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre said: “Africa is key to the global energy transition. Our data shows how the scramble for transition minerals is driving widespread environmental destruction, human rights abuses and growing community conflict across the continent. Conflicts in mining zones is worsening the situation.”
“The urgency of the energy transition is real. But it cannot be used to justify an unprincipled scramble for transition minerals. This is driving widespread human rights abuse, environmental destruction and growing community conflict which slows the transition,” she added.
The analysis showed that:
- Africa is the region with the second highest number of allegations in 2024 – 45, up from 26 in 2023.
- DRC is the African country with the most allegations, with 91 recorded since 2010 and was third highest globally behind Peru with 150, and Chile on 112.
- The company linked to the greatest number of allegations last year is Tenke Fungurume Mining with 18 all at its Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in DRC.
- Copper is associated with over 50% of allegations in 2024, of which one in three were in either DRC or Zambia.
- 40% of all recorded mining deaths in 2024 were in Africa – Zambia, DRC and Guinea.
- Pollution from mining in DRC is being linked to child deaths and adverse impacts on women’s sexual health.
The Resource Centre is calling on policymakers, business leaders and investors to urgently embed human rights protections into their mineral supply chains in order to ensure an energy transition built on a corporate duty of care for the rights of communities and workers, fair negotiations, and a commitment to shared prosperity.
Caroline Avan said: “A transition built on exploitative supply chains of minerals is not simply unjust – it is unstable, unpredictable, and ultimately unsustainable. This should deeply concern investors, governments and downstream users of minerals in the renewable energy space.
“If companies and states continue to pursue minerals recklessly, they risk undermining the very future they claim to support. We urgently need a reset. One that seeks to curb global demand through mineral recycling and delivers shared prosperity in the necessary mining. In doing so, this will embed human rights at the centre of the clean energy economy, builds trust and shared prosperity with affected communities and protects the environment on which we all depend. The path to net zero cannot be paved with more injustice and global inequity. A just transition will be one that is fast but also fair.”
