First in-person meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals taking place in Copenhagen 8-9 July.
With ever-growing needs for minerals that are critical for renewable energy technologies. UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed a Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in April 2024, leveraging the United Nations’ convening power to bring together a diverse group of governments and other stakeholders across the entire minerals value chain to develop a set of global common and voluntary principles to safeguard environmental and social standards and embed justice, in the energy transition.
The Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals seeks to build trust between governments, local communities and industry, by addressing issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights. It builds on existing standards and initiatives.
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, to avert the worst impacts of climate change, will depend on the sufficient, reliable and affordable supply of critical energy transition minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, which are essential components of clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and battery storage.
The panel is co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Ms. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy of the European Commission. It consists of 39 members, including governments (US, China, EU, UK and many more) as well as industry, civil society and representation from indigenous peoples and youth.
The first in-person meeting of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals will take place in Copenhagen, UN City, 8-9 July.
More information can be found here.