Tracking the human rights implications of the mineral boom powering the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.

MORE ABOUT THE TRACKER
Mining equipment.

Demand for minerals like lithium, cobalt, copper and nickel is expanding as companies race to produce the technology needed to support the energy transition, from electric vehicles to solar panels to wind turbines. But companies’ human rights due diligence is not keeping pace with expanding exploration, increasing the risk that the transition fuels further abuse in an already troubled sector.

By the Numbers
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This tracker currently tracks information on companies mining cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel and zinc. It includes companies and allegations covered by our global and regional research.

115

Total number of companies

304

Total number of allegations

Analysis
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Global Analysis (February 2021)

Learn more about the main issues identified in the global allegations recorded on the Transition Minerals Tracker, and how growing demand for these minerals could exacerbate existing environmental and social issues.
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Southern Africa Analysis (March 2021)

Almost half of companies mining for key transition minerals in Southern Africa have allegations of human rights abuses. The majority of allegations—85%—are concentrated in just two commodities, copper and cobalt.
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South America Analysis (March 2021)

14 of the top 19 companies we examined in South America that are mining for key transition minerals had allegations of human rights abuses, with a total of 90 allegations recorded. These allegations relate to environmental impacts, violations of Indigenous rights, and instances of conflict and violence
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Especial Sudamérica (marzo 2021)

En SudAmérica, el 14 de las 19 principales empresas que se dedicand a la mineria de los minerales de la transicion energetica en el region que investigamos tuvieron 90 acusaciones de abusos a los derechos humanos. Las acusaciones y se relacionaron con los impactos ambientales, las violaciones de los derechos indigenas e instancias del conflicto y violencia.
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Find a company
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Find a company mining cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel or zinc to identify whether it has a human rights policy, and whether its activity mining these minerals has been linked to human rights allegations. For further details on allegations, download the full data set below.

Case Studies
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Thumbnail image of mine with a lake at the bottom.

Water

Mining is extremely water intensive and abuses involving water rights are pervasive. The right to water will continue to be central to the rights of communities in a fair and fast energy transition.
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Thumbnail image of mine with a lake at the bottom.

Agua

La mineria usa la cantidad del agua extensivo y los abusos contra los derechos de agua son omnipresentes. El derecho de agua continuará ser central a los derechos de los comunidades en una transicion energetica que es rapido y justo.
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Electric car charging.

Electric Vehicles

Cobalt and lithium are two main minerals used in electric vehicle battery production. Mining for both minerals have been associated with allegations of human rights abuses.
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Wind turbines in India

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines rely on a number of critical minerals, including cobalt, copper, manganese and nickel. Demand for these minerals is expected to rise in part due to their use in wind energy technologies.
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Solar array construction

Solar Panels

More than half of all renewable energy capacity in the next five years estimated to come from solar. Copper, nickel, and zinc are key to the production of solar panels.
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Deep Sea Mining

In the last decade, companies and governments have increasingly pursued exploration of the deep sea bed, where minerals essential to renewable technologies are found in large quantities. However, the practice comes with significant human rights risks.
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Lithium Exploration in Mexico

Lithium is a critical component in the production of the lithium-ion batteries needed to produce electric vehicles. In 2018, some of the world’s largest lithium reserves were found in Sonora, Mexico. This discovery brings opportunity but also potential human rights abuses.
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lithium mine

La Explotación De Litio En México

El litio es un componente critico para la produccion de las baterías de iones de litio que se usan en los vehiculos electricos. En 2018, algunos de los yacimientos mas grandes por todo el mundo se descubieron en Sonora, Mexico.
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Allegation Hotspots

Explore human rights allegations related to cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel or zinc mining per region.

Download the Data
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Download the full Transition Minerals Tracker data set as a CSV file to open and further analyse in Excel.

Download Excel File