Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) has emerged as hotspot for transition mineral extraction and supply – with Western countries signing numerous deals in the region as they look to reduce their dependence on Russia and China. But new research points to a concerning number of human rights and environmental abuses linked to these sought-after minerals – abuses which, if left ignored, threaten to derail the race to net-zero.

Since 2019, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has documented nearly 700 allegations of abuse linked to the exploration, extraction and processing of critical minerals in EECA countries – 270 of which were documented in 2024 alone, pointing to a staggering rise in documented abuses of more than threefold.

In 2024, allegations of abuse linked to 19 transition minerals were documented in: Russia (105), Ukraine (48), Kazakhstan (43), Serbia (31), Bosnia and Herzegovina (10), Georgia (10), Armenia (8), Uzbekistan (4), Tajikistan (4), Albania (3), Kosovo (2), Montenegro (1) and Kyrgyzstan (1).

Key findings from 2024:

• Russia recorded the highest number of allegations of abuse (105) in 2024, accounting for 39% of the region’s total.
• 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.
• Allegations of abuse rose by 23% in Kazakhstan, compared to the annual average recorded between 2019-2023.
• Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Serbia recorded more allegations of abuse in 2024 than during the previous five years combined.
• Georgia hosted the mines (Chiatura mines) with the highest number of allegations (10).
• Copper was the mineral 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 eight countries: Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• 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 mineral mining in the region, accounting for 85% of all impacts on 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.
• Protests by communities, workers and human rights defenders (HRDs) against mining projects were recorded in 33 cases – more than double the annual average recorded between 2019 and 2023. These protests were recorded in seven of the 13 countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Montenegro, Russia and Serbia.

Significant changes are urgently needed in the EECA mining sector if we are to achieve a fast and fair energy transition. 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. Transition mineral companies carrying out projects in the region must uphold human rights throughout their operations and supply chains by engaging with workers, local communities and grassroots organisations to ensure voices of stakeholders are heard and their rights respected.

Ella Skybenko, Senior Researcher for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre: “This year’s analysis has revealed a sharp increase in human rights and environmental abuses linked to transition minerals in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Workers, communities and human rights defenders are facing a concerning number of growing risks – seemingly being forgotten as the world races to secure the minerals necessary for the urgent transition to clean energy. We have seen conflicts and protests by workers and communities, as well as attacks against human rights defenders opposing mining projects deemed harmful to people and the planet.

“It is imperative that companies and governments act now: we must see them start to engage with affected groups to uphold human rights. Without attention to persistent gaps in corporate accountability frameworks, it is almost certain that we will see these abuses continue to intensify and, in turn, undermine the prospects of a just energy transition in the region.”