Ahead of COP: Resources for reporting on the just energy transition
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Next week, COP30 kicks off in Belém, Brazil, bringing global delegates together to accelerate climate action.
A body of research from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) warns that without strong human rights safeguards, the clean energy transition is on course to reproduce the same inequalities and abuses perpetuated by the fossil fuels sector.
To support journalists reporting on these issues, BHRRC has compiled a COP30 media pack to inform coverage of the human rights dimensions of the energy transition. It contains data, analysis and case studies on corporate accountability in the just energy transition, human rights risks in transition mineral mining and renewables, and the crucial involvement of Indigenous Peoples in the climate movement.
Michael Clements, Programme Director and Incoming Executive Director, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “The world stands at a crossroads: simply trade one crisis for another – or choose a just transition that upholds human rights and shared prosperity. COP30 must put human rights at the centre of the climate negotiations and prove that the clean energy transition can be both fast and fair. This COP must deliver real accountability for businesses, protection for communities on the frontlines and a global commitment to a just energy transition that leaves no one behind.”
Accountability and human rights in the energy transition
- Just Energy Transition (JET) Principles
A framework outlining three core principles necessary to achieve a human rights-centred approach to the energy transition. - Litigating corporate abuse in the energy transition
Analysis of legal cases holding companies accountable during the clean energy shift. - Workers in fashion companies’ climate pledges
Research into how the garment sector climate plans overlook workers’ rights.
Elodie Aba, Senior Legal Researcher, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “The energy transition must be centred on the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples, frontline communities and workers affected by transition minerals mining and renewable energy projects. Instead, too many are being left to bear the costs with nothing in return. Lawsuits, which are often a last resort, have become a powerful tool for those left out of the decision-making process. These lawsuits are not a rejection of climate action; they are a demand for a just transition. This growing wave of litigation should be a stark warning to companies and investors. When rights are respected throughout the project cycle, the path to decarbonisation can be grounded in public trust and shared prosperity. When rights are ignored, we see resistance, conflict and delay. This not only risks slowing projects, but also the energy transition as a whole.”
Transition minerals and renewable energy
- Transition Mineral Tracker
Database of human rights allegations linked to the mining of key minerals necessary for the energy transition. - Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark
Analysis of renewable energy companies’ human rights policies and practices. - Investing in renewable energy to power a just transition
A practical guide for investors to align renewable investments with human rights and just transition principles.
Caroline Avan, Head of Just Energy Transition and Natural Resources, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “We urgently need a reset. A transition built on exploitative supply chains of minerals is not simply unjust – it is unstable, unpredictable and ultimately unsustainable. This should deeply concern investors, governments and downstream users of minerals in the renewable energy space. If companies and states continue to pursue minerals recklessly, they risk undermining the very future they claim to support.”
Respect for Indigenous Peoples and rightsholders
- Exploring shared prosperity
Highlights models of Indigenous leadership and partnership in clean energy projects. - Meaningful engagement in the global rush to mine for transition minerals
Outlines best practices for meaningful engagement with rightsholders and affected communities. - Indigenous leadership & shared prosperity in renewable energy
Examples of successful partnerships between Indigenous communities and renewable companies.
Alancay Morales Garro, Senior Project Manager & Indigenous Peoples' Rights Specialist, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “Respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples is a legal and moral imperative that builds lasting trust, reduces the likelihood of conflict, and supports the long-term sustainability of the business. Furthermore, it reduces the very real risk of financial, legal and reputational damage – which has demonstrated to undermine the sector’s capacity to roll-out renewable energy capacity at the pace required to begin to address the climate crisis. Our analysis shows that addressing this challenge is the right thing to do, and is also essential to investor confidence and project success. With governments calling for a tripling of renewable energy capacity by 2030, companies must act decisively on respecting Indigenous Peoples' rights. Closing this gap on Indigenous Peoples’ rights is absolutely crucial for a just and sustainable energy transition.”
Regional research
Asia and the Pacific
- Transition mineral mining impacts in Asia (2025)
- Human rights in Southeast Asia’s renewable energy transition: Analysing company policies (2024)
- Powering electric vehicles: Human rights impacts of Indonesia’s nickel rush (2024)
Pochoy Labog, Southeast Asia Programme Manager, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “Given the role Asia-Pacific plays in producing minerals critical to the global energy transition, we must examine the costs of this mining – and who is bearing the worst of it. Our data reveals significant negative impact on workers, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and human rights defenders in the region, with little evidence to suggest locally affected communities will reap any benefits of the mineral mining boom, despite extraction occurring on their lands.”
Joseph Kibugu, Africa Regional Manager at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “Our research highlights Africa’s dual position: a continent with rich reserves of transition minerals like cobalt, copper, lithium and manganese, yet one of the most climate-vulnerable regions. While countries such as Kenya showcase renewable energy leadership, mining-linked harms are undermining the promise of a just transition.”
Europe and Central Asia
Ella Skybenko, Senior Researcher for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre: “Our analysis has revealed a sharp increase in abuses linked to transition minerals in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Workers and communities are facing a concerning number of growing risks – seemingly being forgotten as the world races to secure minerals for the urgent energy transition. Without attention, it is almost certain we will see these abuses continue to intensify and, in turn, undermine the prospects of a just energy transition in the region.”
Americas
- South America is the region with the highest number of allegations of abuse related to transition mineral mining, accounting for 41% of global allegations.
- Peru and Chile are the countries with the highest number of allegations.
- Most cases are related to the mining of copper and lithium.
- Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest number of litigation related to the energy transition (50 cases out of 95 globally).
- Of these cases, 76% involved claims related to transition mineral mining, while the remaining 24% concerned renewable energy projects.
- A significant number of cases (19) were filed in North American courts.
- Transition minerals, old inequalities in Brazil: Mining, justice and the climate agenda at COP30
- Below ground: Human rights and renewable energy value chains in the Andes
- COP30 and the just transition: Centring communities in Latin America’s energy future
Lady Nancy Zuluaga Jaramillo, Americas Regional Manager, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “For Latin America, a region of deep contrasts, inequalities, rich ecosystems, and strong community memory, the just transition must be built around communities, not extracted from them. If COP30 fails to enshrine this vision, the promise of transformation may once again become another chapter in a familiar story of dispossession. But if it succeeds, it could mark the beginning of a truly community-centred era where Latin America leads not through the exploitation of its land and people, but through the strength, wisdom and resilience of its communities.”
Fabián León Programme Manager, Researcher and Representative – Colombia Office at BHRRC said: “It is crucial that COP30 deliver a unified approach that converges agendas on climate and the energy transition. In doing so, human rights and corporate accountability should be the primary drivers. This will facilitate the development of climate justice actions that link a just energy transition with climate mitigation policies consistent with the phasing out of fossil fuels and the strengthening of community management of common goods as a strategy for shared prosperity”
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Notes to editors:
- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) is a global organisation working at the intersection of business and human rights. With partners and allies worldwide, we seek to put human rights at the heart of business to deliver a just economy, climate justice, and end abuse. Find out more about our approach here.
Media spokespeople at COP:
- Phil Bloomer, Chief Executive, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (9 –14 November)
- Fabián León Programme Manager, Researcher and Representative – Colombia Office, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (14 – 22 November)
Media contact: Priyanka Mogul, Senior Communications Officer (Media/PR), Business & Human Rights Resource Centre ([email protected])