Integrating Climate Action and Mineral Governance
Global attention is on the Amazonian powerhouse Brazil. The nation prepares to host world leaders for COP30 in Belém. It is the largest city of the state of Para in the north of Brazil. Belém is also a gateway to Brazil’s lower Amazon region.
Brazil is a critical player in the just transition. It boasts rich deposits of minerals, from lithium and nickel to niobium and graphite.
These minerals are essential for energy technologies. Nonetheless, their extraction poses environmental concerns. These concerns are echoed by the United Nations Environmental Program UNEP.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed engaged in a powerful dialogue in Nairobi. They laid out the stakes, reiterating calls for climate integrity.
Inaction is not an option. We need a ‘can-do’ mindset, especially with COP30 on the horizon. It’s time to act decisively so that this transition benefits everyone — not just a few.”
Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary General
We must not replicate the old extractive models. The shift to renewables must also be a shift to justice, equity, and sustainability.
Inger Andersen
The focus is on whether Brazil will lead with integrity, equity, and sustainability. There are fears it may slide into the same extractive patterns. These patterns have historically exploited its people and ecosystems.
The Minerals Behind the Transition
Electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines are all symbols of a net-zero future. They depend on minerals dug from the earth.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) anticipates a significant increase in lithium demand. It is projected to grow by 40 times by 2040.
Brazil’s reserves make it a global strategic player, particularly in South America, where a “lithium triangle” is reshaping geopolitics.
But the green boom comes at a cost. The mining of these materials, if unregulated, can lead to deforestation, water pollution, and displacement of indigenous communities.
The world is facing a delicate balancing act. Energy transition minerals can help usher in the clean energy age and opportunities for development. But the urgency and scale of demand could also lead to exploitation, human rights violations and environmental destruction.
Inger
BRAZIL ACTION PLANS
Inger proposes the adoption of circular models in key economic sectors. She says this approach is central to achieving the sustainable development goals.
Brazil must integrate mineral governance into its climate strategy to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution through several strategies
- Strengthening environmental enforcement agencies
- Developing traceable, ESG-compliant mineral supply chains
- Ensuring Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from indigenous groups
- Promoting circular economy principles and clean processing technologies
Hosting COP30 in the heart of the Amazon is more than symbolic — it’s a call to action. Brazil can show the world that mineral-rich nations don’t have to choose between development and sustainability.
With the right policies, partnerships, and political will, it can become a model for climate-integrity leadership.
Brazil is at a crossroads. It has a mineral-rich land and a growing climate consciousness. It has the chance to lead the global south in redefining how resources are extracted. It also has the potential to change how people gain.
As COP30 approaches, Brazil has the power and the responsibility. It must act not only as a supplier of the future but also as a steward of it.
The green transition will not wait. Without urgent and concerted action, by 2060 resource extraction could rise by 60% from 2020 levels – driving increasing damage and risks.”
UNEP 2024 Global Resources Outlook