The global shift to clean energy is causing a boom in demand for critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper.
Extracting them from underground may be just the simplest part of the process. All around the world, the United Nations is helping countries ensure that these valuable resources create decent jobs, protect the environment, and benefit local communities, rather than just global supply chains.
Argentina: putting communities at the heart of the lithium boom
Argentina has some of the largest lithium reserves in the world, making it a key supplier for batteries used in electric vehicles and renewable energy.The United Nations makes sure that local populations can take part in decisions about developing this sector. They support dialogue between public authorities, companies, workers, and indigenous communities so they can tackle issues together, from environmental protection to economic opportunities.
The UN also helps provinces to strengthen their financial planning so that more of the profits generated by lithium stay within local communities. At the same time, it supports vocational training and initiatives aimed at increasing the role of women in the sector.Cobalt is mined in Rubaya, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in an area controlled by a militia.
DRC: turning mineral wealth into a driver of development
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) produces about 70% of the world’s cobalt, a mineral essential for many rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.The United Nations supports efforts to ensure that this mineral wealth contributes more broadly to the country’s economic development.
This includes support for strengthening public policies, promoting responsible business practices, and developing local businesses so they can take part in the new value chains related to batteries and electric vehicles.
Indonesia: creating more value from nickel
Indonesia is one of the world’s main producers of nickel, a mineral essential to many electric vehicle batteries.
Rather than relying mainly on exporting raw materials, the country is looking to develop higher-value industrial activities within its own borders.The UN supports this strategy by helping improve industrial production standards, promoting cleaner manufacturing processes, and increasing national added value throughout the supply chains of critical minerals.
The United Nations also supports strengthening health and safety at work in mines, developing the skills needed for a greener economy, and sharing Indonesia’s experience with other mineral-producing countries through South-South cooperation for sustainable mining and responsible natural resource management.A truck is transporting materials at a nickel mine site in Indonesia.
Kazakhstan: Making Mining Cleaner and More Transparent
Kazakhstan is working to strengthen the governance of its critical minerals sector as global demand for these resources keeps growing.
The United Nations is supporting efforts to improve the oversight of critical minerals supply chains by helping the country align its national frameworks with international standards and identify risks linked to crime, corruption, and lack of accountability.This support also includes improving safety in mines and labor standards, promoting responsible business practices in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as exploring solutions to recover valuable raw materials from electronic waste to reduce the need for new mining.
Zambia: making mining a driver of local jobs
Zambia’s significant mineral resources have an essential role to play in the transition to clean energy. The United Nations is working to ensure that mining also creates new opportunities for workers, local businesses, and communities.The support provided includes developing a national skills development strategy for the mining sector, preparing workers for jobs related to mining and battery value chains, and helping small and medium-sized businesses integrate into the new electric vehicle supply chains.
The UN also works with artisanal miners and small mining operations to improve safety, strengthen environmental safeguards, and encourage their inclusion in the formal economy.
Local communities also take part in monitoring the environmental impacts of mining activities alongside public authorities, universities, and mining companies, helping to build trust around mining projects.
