Mining critical to renewable energy tied to hundreds of alleged human rights abuses

A report released Wednesday faults the U.S. and other nations for providing incentives for the mining of rare metals like lithium and cobalt without enacting adequate labor and environmental safeguards, Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News.

In a nutshell:

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act directs over $250 billion in new federal spending toward clean-energy, including the procurement of critical minerals and metals. But human rights experts are insisting on meaningful policy changes to meet the moment including mandatory human rights laws requiring companies to identify, prevent and remedy human rights violations.

Key quote

“We have to move away from fossil fuels and that requires minerals to manufacture renewable technologies,” said Caroline Avan, one of the authors of the report. “There is no way around that, but it should not mean we have to mine everywhere without any sort of safeguards.”

Big picture

Global demand for mission-critical minerals and metals and the promise of massive profits are a powerful incentive to cut corners and discourage public input through corrupt processes and at times, violent suppression of human rights defenders.

Read the full story at Inside Climate News

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