"Secretary-General's remarks to COP29 High-Level meeting on resourcing energy transition with justice and equity [as delivered]", 13 November 2024

" ...We are here to respond to a key challenge: turning the energy transition towards justice.

The renewables revolution is powering forward. And critical minerals are at its core.

Last year – for the first time – the amount invested in grids and renewables overtook the amount spent on fossil fuels.

Demand for the minerals critical to the transition are expected to surge – as governments triple global renewables capacity by 2030 – as promised – and phase out fossil fuels.

For developing countries rich in those resources, this is a huge opportunity: to generate prosperity; eliminate poverty; and to drive sustainable development.

But too often this is not the case.

Too often we see the mistakes of the past repeated in a stampede of greed that crushes the poor.

We see a rush for resources, with communities exploited, rights trampled, and environments trashed; we see developing countries ground-down to the bottom of value chains, as others grow wealthy on their resources.

And the Panel was established in response to the calls from developing countries for action.

I thank all Panel members for their work and particularly the Co-Chairs, Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko and Ditte Juul Jørgensen.

The report identifies seven voluntary principles and five actionable recommendations to embed justice and equity across  critical mineral value chains.

These aim to empower communities, create accountability, and ensure that clean energy drives equitable and resilient growth. That includes advancing efforts to ensure maximum value is added in resource-rich developing countries.

The United Nations system is coming together to help implement the Panel’s findings.

We will work with Member States and other stakeholders to establish the recommended High-Level Expert Advisory Group.

This will accelerate action on key economic issues, including benefit sharing, value addition, and fair trade.

Developing countries will be in the driving seat.

And Indigenous Peoples, local communities, young people, civil society, industry, and trade unions will be at the table, alongside governments.

We will also take forward the recommended global traceability, transparency and accountability framework for the entire mineral value chain.

This will help to drive responsible production, safeguarding human rights and the environment.

I urge all leaders – in government, industry and civil society – to join us.

And I look forward to hearing from you today on your plans to implement the Panel’s findings.

As demand for critical energy transition minerals surges, so must action.

Together, let us turn the transition towards justice and equity.

Thank you"