Rich countries are signing a “death sentence” for millions of poor people around the world by failing to phase out fossil fuels, the climate activist Greta Thunberg has told governments.
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.
Vietnamese anti-coal campaigner Nguy Thi Khanh has been freed early from prison on tax evasion charges, in a boost to Vietnam's energy transition hopes.
Highway and city planners saddled a once-proud Black community with freeways and diesel fumes, while more affluent neighborhoods were spared such burdens.
