Justice in Critical Minerals Trade

So-called “critical minerals,” like cobalt, nickel, and lithium, are key components of modern technologies that can be directed toward various goals, including clean energy, smart devices, and military applications.

There are widely documented human rights abuses throughout the minerals supply chain, including displacement of Indigenous Peoples, forced labor, and environmental destruction. As the world chases after these minerals, we must fight for accountability, transparency, and the highest of standards in any trade, investment, or other agreement.

For a just global economy, we must reject agreements that are for the purposes of control rather than mutual development; that prioritize increased militarism and investor profits at the expense of a just clean energy transition; that exclude meaningful participation of affected communities; and that lack strong, binding, and enforceable human rights, labor, and environmental standards.