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Natural Resources and Just Transition Regional Briefings

2024

Rush to renewables: Toward migrant worker rights and a just energy transition in the Gulf (2024)

This report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and Equidem aims to assess the renewable energy sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its treatment of migrant workers, highlighting the risks of neglecting workers' rights amid rapid sector growth. It includes a mapping of renewable energy projects, case studies of abusive working conditions, and an analysis on the extent to which companies' policies align with human rights standards.

Gulf energy explorer: Renewables, rights and risks (2024)

This portal provides interactive data on renewable energy projects in the Gulf and maps company stakeholders. It aims to shed light on migrant worker rights in the renewables industry - an under-researched and opaque area - and drive positive action across the value chain.

Human rights in Southeast Asia's renewable energy transition: Analysing company policies (2024)

This briefing analyses the human rights policies of 12 renewable energy companies operating in Southeast Asia revealing significant gaps, with only four companies making substantial commitments to respect internationally recognized human rights. The study found limited transparency, as most companies failed to proactively assess or address human rights risks in their projects. This highlights the urgent need for stronger human rights safeguards in the renewable energy sector to ensure that the region’s energy transition is both sustainable and just for workers and communities.

Powering electric vehicles: Human rights impacts of Indonesia's nickel rush (2024)

This briefing highlights the environmental and human rights abuses tied to nickel mining in Indonesia, crucial for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. It reveals how mining operations, driven by rising EV demand, are causing deforestation, water pollution, and endangering the livelihoods of Indigenous communities. Expanding on our previous 2023 investigation on human rights abuses tied to EV supply chains in Southeast Asia, this briefing urges major stakeholders—car companies, battery manufacturers, and investors—to address these issues for a more equitable transition to clean energy.

Fuelling injustice: Transition mineral impacts in Eastern Europe & Central Asia (2024)

The briefing tracks 421 allegations of environmental and human rights abuses linked to mining and processing of transition minerals in 16 Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries from 2019 to 2023. The evidence demands urgent attention from international banks, investors, and companies involved, calling for a transformative approach to mitigate harm.

2023

Powering electric vehicles: Human rights and environmental abuses in Southeast Asia's nickel supply chains (2023)

This briefing identifies abuses at different points of two important nickel supply chains in the Philippines and Indonesia -- and linked these abuses to companies such as Panasonic, Tesla and Toyota, two of the largest EV battery producers. The case studies included in the report are the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (Rio Tuba) in the Philippines and two Chinese companies operating in Indonesia (Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and CNGR Advanced Materials).

Financing mining for transition minerals in South Africa: Are banks doing enough on human rights? (2023)

This report looks at the human rights commitments and actions of 15 banks (5 local, 10 international) linked to the financing of transition minerals extraction in South Africa. The research revealed these banks are failing to take adequate measures to avoid contributing to abuses in this particularly risky sector.

Below ground: Human rights and renewable energy value chains in the Andes (2023)

This report looks at examples of alleged rights abuse linked to transition minerals mining operations in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, with research carried out by our partner organisations Acción Ecológica, Corporación Geoambiental Terrae and Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (DHUMA)

Unpacking clean energy: Human rights impacts of Chinese overseas investment in transition minerals (2023)

This analysis reveals extensive human rights and environmental abuses linked to Chinese companies overseas. From January 2021 to December 2022, 102 allegations were recorded by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. These findings, alongside similar abuses by North American and European companies, underscore the risks of irresponsible business practices on vulnerable communities, Indigenous Peoples, and migrant workers globally.

2022 and earlier

Fast and fair renewable energy for Africa: Lessons from Kenya (2022)

This briefing examines Kenyan case studies offering valuable lessons for Africa on achieving a just and rapid renewable energy transition. These cases highlight issues like rights violations, loss of livelihood, and lack of FPIC, leading to protests and project delays. For shared prosperity and sustainable development, renewable energy investors must uphold human rights.

Drying up: Tracking the environmental and human rights harms caused by hydropower in the Caucasus and Central Asia (2022)

The briefing tracks allegations of environmental and human rights abuses linked to hydropower plants in Armenia, Georgia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan over the last 10 years. It provides evidence of human rights abuses and environmental damage, demanding urgent action from international banks, investors, and companies involved in these projects, and calls for a transformative approach to mitigate harm.

Transition Minerals Tracker: Regional analysis of human rights policies and practices (2021)

Our 2021 Transition Minerals Tracker regional analysis explores human rights abuses related to the top producers for cobalt, copper, nickel, lithium, manganese and zinc minerals across four regions. Check our four regional deep dives, which examine data and case studies on transition mineral producers in Southern Africa, South America, Mexico & Central America and the Pacific.