Liliana Jauregui Bordones appointed Director of IUCN NL
28 November, 2024
Liliana Jauregui Bordones appointed Director of IUCN NL
28 November, 2024
Virunga Youth supports ranger training in the DRC
26 November, 2024
Friday 12 november 2021
Header photo: Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
The demand for metals and minerals necessary for the production and storage of green energy is growing explosively. The World Bank found that the production of minerals, such as graphite, lithium and cobalt, could increase by nearly 500% by 2050, to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies. There will come a time when there is simply not enough left in the ground to meet this enormous demand. Consuming less and recycling more is therefore necessary.
The extraction of these minerals is often accompanied by human rights violations and major losses of biodiversity, especially through deforestation, pollution and forced displacement. This side of green energy should not be overlooked. To sustainably source the raw materials needed for the energy transition, three things are indispensable: transparency, strong local laws and regulations, and voluntary and mandatory sustainability standards for companies.
Transparency throughout the value chain as a whole is crucial to ensure responsible management of raw materials, from the decision-making process related to issuing the permits to extracting and processing the materials. Every company that processes products obtained through mining, must be aware of the origin of and circumstances under which the minerals were extracted. Sector specific International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) Agreements can play a role in maximizing value chain transparency.
International standards and (national) laws and regulations in relation to mining can and must be better adhered to. Important nature and water catchment areas, fragile ecosystems and areas managed by indigenous peoples should be excluded from mining. Land – and participation rights of indigenous people and local communities must be respected.
Besides existing laws and regulations, there are voluntary performance standards to which mining companies can commit. These sector-wide standards often impose stricter sustainability requirements than national laws and regulations. We encourage companies to publicly commit to these kinds of standards and guidelines, such as those of the progressive IRMA standard (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance). Many multinationals are responsive in this regard, partly because an increasing number of investors are imposing requirements in this field. Let’s work on the energy transition as quickly as possible, but one without loss of biodiversity and human rights violations.
28 November, 2024
As of January 1, 2025, Liliana Jauregui Bordones will become the new Director of IUCN NL. This announcement was made…
26 November, 2024
Three young people joined ranger teams in national parks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after successfully completing…