energy transition

UNSG CETM Panel at the Aug 2024 Nairobi meeting.UNSG CETM Panel at the Aug 2024 Nairobi meeting.Energy Transition

Update: UN Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel

3 September 2024By

On 20-21 August, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals held its last in-person meeting in Nairobi at the UN Environmental Programme Headquarters.

The meeting focused on developing a short list of actionable recommendations to accompany a set of voluntary principles on issues key to the panel aims of “building trust between governments, communities and industry, enhancing transparency and investment, and ensuring a just and equitable management of sustainable, responsible, and reliable value chains for terrestrial critical energy transition minerals.”

The Nairobi meeting followed a series of virtual discussions with civil society and Indigenous rights holders, industry, and artisanal and small-scale miners, convened by Panel Co-Chairs  Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Ms. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy of the European Commission. These discussions and input received through a July UN-hosted written submissions period informed panel members and their input on the draft principles and recommendations.

The panel began its work in April 2024 and will finalize its report for the Secretary-General in early September for expected publication on the 11th of September 2024.

While we do not have control over the final panel report, we hope that our input has contributed to bringing the experience and insights across all IRMA sectors into the principles and actionable recommendations. We appreciate all who took valuable time to submit comments and recommendations to inform the work of the panel.

Look for the final report to be posted soon in our social media feeds and on the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals Website.

READ MORE
UN Secretary General's Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel in CopenhagenUN Secretary General's Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel in CopenhagenEnergy Transition

Inform the UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

17 July 2024By

Input Requested by 30 July to Inform the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

This July IRMA participated in the first in-person meeting of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The panel is charged with developing “a set of global and common voluntary principles on issues which are key to building trust between governments, communities and industry, enhancing transparency and investment and ensuring a just and equitable management of sustainable, responsible, and reliable value chains for terrestrial critical energy transition minerals.”

The work of the panel is a UN-wide effort with technical support from the UN Environment Program, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and other UN bodies.

Panel Timeline: April to September 2024

The panel is working under a tight timeline. UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the panel on 2 December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai. The panel was launched on 26 April this year and the first substantive panel meeting was held in a virtual format on 22 May.

Between the May and early July, panel members worked across four workstreams divided into four related topics:

  1. Benefit sharing, local value addition and economic diversification;
  2. Transparent and fair trade and investments;
  3. Sustainable, responsible and just value chains; and
  4. Mineral value chain stability and resilience.

Each workstream met twice in virtual formats to discuss and propose principles and recommended actions in preparation for the in-person 8-9 July panel meeting in Copenhagen. Prior to the Copenhagen meeting, a set of Civil Society Recommendations for the panel, supported by over 136 organizations around the world, was submitted to inform the panel’s work.

The last panel meeting will be held in person 20-21 August in Nairobi. The final panel report is to be submitted to the Secretary-General by early September 2024.

Opportunity to Submit Comments

On 2 July the UN published a panel background paper and opened a portal for public submission of comments to inform the panel. The portal will remain open through 30 July. We encourage you to submit comments and share the opportunity to do so with your networks.

IRMA also welcomes your recommendations regarding our engagement in the panel and any aspect of the panel’s work. Please contact us at contact@responsiblemining.net to inform this effort.

Useful Links:
READ MORE
UN Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel bannerUN Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel bannerEnergy Transition

The UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

6 June 2024By
IRMA Engagement in the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

IRMA is serving as a non-state actor panel member in the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

The panel, co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Ms. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy of the European Commission, aims to “build trust between governments, local communities and industry, by addressing issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights” in the mining sector. The objectives of the panel are to:

  1. Support a just and equitable transition to renewable energies while harnessing critical energy transition minerals for sustainable development.
  2. Ensure countries and local communities endowed with these minerals fully benefit economically, including through local value addition, while safeguarding social and environmental protections for affected communities and ecosystems.
  3. Strengthen international cooperation including through the alignment and harmonization of existing norms, standards and initiatives and agree on areas for enhanced multilateral action.

The UN Secretary General announced formation of the panel at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai and launched the panel on 26 April 2024. The panel will build on the work of IRMA and other existing standards as well as prior and ongoing UN initiatives to inform recommendations, including a set of voluntary principles, for the UN Secretary-General to share at the UN General Assembly this September.

IRMA welcomes your recommendations regarding our engagement in the panel, its objectives, and how to achieve these objectives. Please reach out to contact@responsiblemining.net to inform our engagement.

Useful Links:

 

READ MORE