Key findings from 2024:

• Russia recorded the highest number of allegations of abuse (105) in 2024, accounting for 39% of the region’s total. It was followed by Ukraine (48), Kazakhstan (43), Serbia (31), Bosnia and Herzegovina (10), and Georgia (10).
• Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Serbia recorded more allegations of abuse in 2024 than during the previous five years combined.
• Copper was associated with the highest number (77) of allegations of abuse, which constituted 29% of all recorded cases. Alleged abuses linked to copper were recorded in 8 countries of the region.
• Those most affected by allegations of abuse were workers (135 allegations) and communities (114 allegations).
• Occupational health and safety violations (115) was the top human rights issue associated with transition minerals in the region, accounting for 85% of all issues experienced by workers.
• This was followed by workplace deaths (47) and personal health issues (30). Half of workplace deaths recorded took place in Russia (23) and over a quarter (14) in Kazakhstan.
• Violations of environmental safety standards (43) accounted for 38% of all allegations affecting communities, followed by air pollution at 27%, and soil and water pollution at 20% each.
• Russian company United Company RUSAL (owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska and sanctioned by the EU) was linked to 31 allegations of abuse – nearly twice as many as any other company.
• Georgia hosted the mines (Chiatura mines) with the highest number of allegations (10).
• Protests by communities, workers and human rights defenders (HRDs) against mining projects were recorded in 33 cases across 7 countries.

Our findings show that the three core principles of a just energy transition – shared prosperity, respect for human rights and social protection, and fair negotiations – remain absent in EECA’s transition mineral industry. Significant changes to existing business models in the EECA mining sector are urgently needed to ensure a fast, fair and sustainable transition to clean energy.