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Green Conflict Minerals
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Green Conflict Minerals

The fuels of conflict in the transition to a low-carbon economy

Clare Church and Alec Crawford
IISD, 2018
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8

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Recommendation

The clean energy transition will boost demand for the materials that make green energy technologies possible. Yet, as a report by Clare Church and Alec Crawford of the International Institute for Sustainable Development highlights, not all countries blessed with abundant mineral reserves stand to benefit from the impending mining boom. An interactive map illustrates the uneven distribution of crucial green energy minerals across the Earth’s surface and shows how high mineral abundance often coincides with high levels of political instability and poverty. Consumers, business leaders and supply chain specialists will learn how they can ensure that the transition to a low-carbon world won’t create new losers.

Take-Aways

  • As demand for green energy technologies grows, so does demand for the minerals on which these technologies rely.
  • Increased mining activities in countries with weak governance can lead to growing instability and conflict.
  • Since half the world’s cobalt reserves are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, green technology companies find it hard not to source from its mines despite human rights concerns.

About the Authors

Clare Church is a research officer and Alec Crawford is a senior researcher at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, an independent think tank with offices in Canada, Switzerland and the United States.

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