Declaration on Mining and the Energy Transition

We, the undersigned organizations, support a just and rapid transition away from fossil fuels and towards a renewable energy system. We are concerned about the impacts of extracting minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper for renewable energy technologies on communities, workers and ecosystems around the world.

Minerals demand for renewable energy technologies is projected to skyrocket, particularly for battery metals being used in electric vehicles—and the associated environmental and human impacts are likely to rise steeply as well. Metals mining is one of the world’s dirtiest industries, responsible for at least 10% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Mining is linked to environmental destruction, freshwater contamination and depletion, human rights abuses, forced displacement, loss of livelihood, violent conflict, unsafe working conditions, and illicit financial flows in many parts of the world. It increasingly poses threats to ocean health through the risky practice of mine waste dumping and deep-sea mining.

Dangerous mine waste storage and disposal have led to deaths and catastrophic destruction of downstream environments as well as the contamination of fragile marine ecosystems, fisheries and coastal communities. Mining, including for battery minerals such as cobalt, lithium and nickel causes disproportionate harm to Indigenous Peoples.

Our transition to renewable energy sources must be just and equitable and accompanied by a simultaneous transformation away from irresponsible mining by:

• Centering the human rights of Indigenous, frontline communities, and workers at mining, recycling, reclamation, manufacturing and renewable energy projects, by prioritizing the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent, including the right to withhold consent as aligned with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Prioritizing low-impact circular economy solutions that reduce the overall demand for primary metals such as reuse, reduction, recycling, and design for disassembly while ensuring health and safety protections for workers and communities.
• Ensuring responsible minerals sourcing at existing mining operations through legally binding regulations to protect human rights, the environment and sacred sites at the state and international level; demanding mandatory human rights due diligence and adherence to all legal requirements; and stringent international environmental and human rights standards with independent, third-party verification of compliance^[1].
• Implementing transformative, rather than merely technological, solutions that shift away from disposable consumption and private transportation to more equitable access to services and low-carbon public transit.

We call on climate negotiators to make a binding commitment to  source transition minerals responsibly. We call on businesses, financial institutions, investors and governments to ensure a clean, just and equitable energy transition by implementing these measures and urge clean energy advocates and climate justice allies to echo these demands in climate change platforms.

A truly clean, just and equitable energy economy will require not just a transition to cleaner sources of energy, but transformation on an individual and collective level. We urge you to join us and ensure that the move to clean energy doesn’t recreate the same systems it aims to destroy and helps to build climate change solutions that put communities, workers and the environment first.

^[1] Such as the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining.

List of Declaration Signatories

350Hawaii
Sherry Pollack
Co-Founder
United States

350NYC
Dorian Fulvio
United States

Action for Ecology
& People Emancipation
Pius Ginting
Coordinator
Indonesia

ActionAid Australia
Katherine Tu
Head of Campaigns & Policy
Australia

Adorers of the Blood of Christ
Sara Dwyer, ASC
JPIC Contact
United States

Africa Institute for Energy Governance
Denis Mugisha
Chief Executive Officer
Uganda

African Resource Watch
Umpula Nkumba Emmanuel
Directeur Exécutif
Africa

Aktionsgruppe Indianer & Menschenrechte
Monika Seiller
Chairperson
Germany

Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities
Richard Matey
Ghana

Alyansa Tigil Mina
Jaybee Garganera
National Coordinator
Philippines

Amazon Watch
Paul Paz y Mino
Associate Director
United States

Amnesty International
Richard Kent
Researcher
United Kingdom

Ang Aroroy Ay Alagaan
Marilou Verano
Board of director
Philippines

Anthropocene Alliance
Harriet Festing
Executive Director
United States

Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation
Nicole Redvers
Board Chair
Canada

Arizona Mining Reform Coalition
Roger Featherstone
Director
United States

Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA)
Liliana Avila
Senior attorney
Global

Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany
Markus Dufner
Director
Germany

Association pour la protection du Lac Taureau
Michael Picard
Professeur Honoraire
Canada

Bank Information Center
Ladd Connell
Environment Director
United States

Batani Foundation
Pavel Sulyandziga
President
United States/Russia

Bayay Sibuyanon INC.
Elizabeth Ibañez
DRR-CCA Officer
Philippines

Black Hills Clean Water Alliance
Lilias Jarding, PhD
President
United States

Bloomfield United Methodist Church
Judy McGoogan
Social Justice Chair
United States

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Jessie Cato
Natural Resources & Human Rights Programme Manager
Germany

CATAPA
Connor Cashell
Education & Movement
Belgium

Center for Biological Diversity
Sarah Uhlemann
International Program Director
United States

Centro Montalvo
Heriberta Fernández
Coordinadora Nacional de Desarrollo Local
República Dominicana

Chase Environmental Action Group
A. McLaren
Leader
Canada

Chirapaq/ECMIA
Tarcila Rivera-Zea
Presidenta
Perú

Christian Spiritual Youth Ministry HUDUMA
Axwessoo Siayi
CEID
Tanzania

Climate Hawks Vote
RL Miller
President
United States

Coalition Québec Meilleure Mine
Ugo Lapointe
Co-founder & co-spokesperson
Canada

Comité Citoyen de Protection de L’esker
Rodrigue Turgeon
Co-porte-parole
Canada

Comité para la defensa del agua y el páramo santurban
Daniel Martínez Gómez
Ingeniero mecánico
Colombia

Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network
Prabindra Shakya
Founder/Director
Nepal

Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim
Carolina Martin Ramos
Co-Executive Director
United States & Maya Territories

Community Resource Centre Foundation
Sor.Rattanamanee Polkla
Executive Coordinator
Thailand

Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux
Yvan Duceppe
Trésorier de la CSN
Canada

Connecticut Citizens Action Group
Tom Swan
Executive Director
United States

CTConsulting Wales
Christopher Tanner
Senior Consultant
United Kingdom

Cully Air Action Team
Gregory Sotir
Coordinator
United States

Cultural Survival
Galina Angarova
Executive Director
Global

Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Sian Owen
Director
Global

Denver Justice and Peace Committee
Rebeca Zuniga
Director
United StatesDeutsche Umwelthilfe e.V.Ludmila WalderdorffGermany

DIGNITY KwanzaJanemary RuhundwaExecutive DirectorTanzania

Drive Electric RVA
Charles Gerena
Lead Organizer
United States

E Tech International
Richard Kamp
Director
United States

Earth Action, Inc.
Mary Gutierrez
Director
United States

Earth Guardians
Kellie Berns
Program Director
United States

Earthjustice
Blaine Miller-McFeeley
Senior Legislative Representative
United States

Earthworks
Brytnee Laurette M.
Making Clean Energy Clean Coalition Coordinator
United States

East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice
Taylor Thomas
Co-Executive Director
United States

Eau Secours
Rébecca Pétrin
Directrice générale
Canada

Ecology Center
Charles Griffith
Climate and Energy Program Director
United StatesEcoteneo of the Ateneo de Davao UniversityCarmela SantosEcoteneo DirectorPhilippines

Environment Government Institute
Samuel Okulony
Chief Executive Officer
Uganda

Environmental Defence Canada
Julia Levin
Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager
Canada

Équiterre
Émile Boisseau-Bouvier
Analyste, politiques climatiques et transition écologique
Canada

Extinction Rebellion San Francisco Bay Area
Leah Redwood
Action Strategy and Planning Coordinator
United States

Fair Mining Collaborative
Glenn M Grande
Executive Director
Canada

Fiji Council of Social Services
Vani Catanasiga
Executive Director
Fiji

First Peoples Worldwide
Kate R. Finn
Executive Director
United States

Fondation Rivières
André Bélanger
Directeur Général
Canada

FracTracker Alliance
Brook Lenker
Executive Director
United States

FreshWater Accountability Project
Leatra J Harper
Managing Director
United States

Friends of the Earth US
Nicole Ghio
Senior Fossil Fuels Program Manager
United States

Front commun pour la transition énergétique
Elisabeth Gibeau
Coordonnatrice
Canada

Generation180
Stuart Gardner
Director
United States

Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker / Society for Threatened Peoples
Yvonne Bangert
Consultan Indigenous Peoples
Germany

Geselschaft für bedrohte Völker Regionalgruppe München
Tijan Zaotschnaja
Contact for RG München
Germany

Gila Resources Information Project
Allyson E Siwik
Executive Director
United States

Global Witness
Paul Donowitz
Strategy Lead
United States

Goa Foundation
Rahul Basu
Research Director
India

GoodElectronics Network
Alejandro González
International Coordinator
Global

Great Basin Resource Watch
John Hadder
Executive Director
United States

Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Shelley Silbert
Executive Director
United StatesGreen Energy Consumers AllianceAnna VanderspekElectric Vehicle Program DirectorUnited States

GreenLatinos
Andrea Marpillero-Colomina
Clean Transportation & Energy Lead
United States

GreenLine Mumbai
Chris Valentino
Director
India

Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights
Joshua Cooper
Executive Director
United States

Human Rights Practice
William Paul Simmons
Director of the Human Rights Practice Program
United States

Human Rights Watch
Cara Schulte
Senior Associate
United States

Information Network for Responsible Mining
Jennifer Thurston
Executive Director
United States

Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Socioculturales
Antonio Arriaza
Director
Honduras

Inter Pares
Jean Symes
Policy Analyst
Canada

ILukim Sustainability Solomon Islands
Watson Puiahi
Director
Solomon Islands

Jamii Asilia Centre
Carson Kiburo
Executive Director
Kenya

Jubilee Australia Research Centre
Dina Hopstad Rui
Campaigns Director
Australia

Justice et Paix
Rix
Responsable plaidoyer & relation presse
Belgique

Kamloops Area Preservation Association
Paula Pick
Chair
Canada

Kamloops Moms for Clean Air
Gina Morris
Spokesperson
Canada

Kazdagi Association-Turkey
Suheyla Dogan
Chairwoman
Turkey

Land is Life
Katherine Freitag
Development & Operations Associate
United States

Local Environmental Action Demanded Agency Inc.
Rebecca Jim
Executive Director
United States

London Mining Network
Andy Whitmore
United Kingdom

Lynn Canal Conservation
Jessica Plachta
Executive Director
United States

Malach Consulting
Steve Emerman
Owner
United States

Mining and Just Energy Transition Network
Claire Burgess
Researcher
Australia

Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin
Dave Blouin
Coordinator
United States

MiningWatch Canada
Jamie Kneen
Co-manager
Canada

Moccasin Footprint Society
Nuskmata
(Jacinda Mack)
Executive Director
Canada

Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens
Gessica Steffens
Brazil

Movimento pela Soberania Popular na Mineração
Luiz Paulo Siqueira
National Coordinator
Brazil

Namati
Erin Kitchell
Director of Global Programs
United States

Natur og Ungdom
(Young Friends of the Earth Norway)
Therese Hugstmyr Woie
Chairperson of the board
Norway

Natural Resources Defense Council
Joshua Axelrod
Senior Policy Advocate
United States

Nature Abounds
Melinda Hughes
President
United States

Naturvernforbundet (Friends of the Earth Norway)
Truls Gulowsen
Leader
Norway

No Coal San Juan Islands
Barbara A Keller
Board Member
United States

Norges Naturvernforbund (Norwegian society for Nature Conservation)
Truls Gulowsen
Board Chair
Norway

Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Solaris Gillispie
Clean Water and Mining Program Manager
United States

Northern Confluence Initiative
Nikki Skuce
Director
Canada

Observatoire d’etudes et d’appui a la responsabilité sociale et environnementale
Freddy Kasongo
Secrétaire Executif
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Oil and Gas Action Network
Matt Leonard
Director
United States

Oil Change International
David Tong
Global Industry Campaign Manager
New Zealand

Oxfam
Maria Lya Ramos
Associate Director, Extractive Industries
United States

Oyu Tolgoi Watch
Sukhgerel Dugersuren
Chair
Mongolia

PARTS, Inc.
Avelino Marata
Philippines

Patagonia Area Resource Alliance
Carolyn Shafer
Mission Coordinator
United States

Peace and Conflict Studies Institute Australia
Volker Boege
Director
Australia

People & Plant
J Clarke
Co-director: Climate Campaigns
United Kingdom

Perempuan Aman
Devi Anggraini
President
Indonesia

Project Green Home
Sven Thesen
Co-Founder
United States

Publish What You Pay
Maria Emilia Berazategui
Campaigns Coordinator
Global

Publish What You Pay Madagascar
Ketakandriana Rafitoson
National Coordinator
Madagascar

Rainforest Action Network
Ginger Cassady
Executive Director
United States

Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs (RAVEN)
Susan Smitten
Executive Director
Canada

Regroupement Vigilance Mines de l’Abtibi et du Témiscamingue
Marc Nantel
Porte-parole
Canada

Rights & Accountability in Development (RAID)
Anneke Van Woudenberg
United Kingdom

Rivers Without Boundaries
Sukherel Dugersuren
Coordinator
Mongolia

Sacred Earth Solar
Melina Laboucan-Massimo
Founder
Canada

Salmon Beyond Borders
Jill Weitz
Director
United States

SalmonState
Tim Bristol
Executive Director
United States

Sibuyanon Against Mining
Elizabeth Ibañez
Philippines

Save the South Fork Salmon
Melissa Coriell
Board Member
United States

Seas At Risk
Monica Verbeek
Executive Director
Portugal/Belgium

Semilla Warunkwa
Claudia Velandia-Onofre
International Liasion
United States

Socio-Ecological Union
Svet Zabelin
Coordinator
Global

Sierra Club
John Dunmore
Federal Lands Protection Program
United States

Sierra Leone School Green Clubs
Alhassan Sesay
Founder
Sierra Leone

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Marianne Comfort
Justice Coordinator
United States

SkeenaWild Conservation Trust
Adrienne Berchtold
Ecologist and Mining Impacts Researcher
Canada

Society for Threatened Peoples Switzerland
Tabea Willi
Campaigner
Switzerland

SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations)
Alejandro González
Researcher
Netherlands

SOS Grenville Sur la Rouge
Candace Robinson
Canada

Spire
Julie Rødje
President
Norway

T.E.J.A.S.
Juan Parras
Director
United States

The Alliance for Appalachia
Chista Faulkner
Coordinator
United States

The Andrew Lees Trust
Yvonne Orengo
Director
United Kingdom

The Christensen Fund
Carla Fredericks
CEO
United States

The Deep Sea Mining Campaign
Dr. Helen Rosenbaum
Coordinator
Australia

The International Indigenous Women Forum
Aminatu Gambo
Program Officer of Political Participation and Advocacy
United States

TUDE & FUWA INTERNATIONAL VENTURES
John O. Oluwaleye
Representative
Nigeria

The Wilderness Society
Kim Stevens
Advocacy Director, Climate Solutions
United States

Union des peuples autochtones pour le réveil au développement
Yves Minani
Fondateur/Directeur exécutif
Burundi

Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Josh Kioke
Climate Policy Analyst
Canada

United Steelworkers – Canada
Doug Olthuis
Department Leader
Canada

Uplift
Tessa Khan
Director
United Kingdom

Valencia Renewables
Ann McCartney
Volunteer
United States

Wapichan Women’s Movement
Immaculata Casimero
Co-Founder
Guyana

Waterspirit
Blair Nelson
Executive Director
United States

Witness Radio
Jeff W. Ssebaggala
Team Leader
Uganda

World Economy, Ecology & Development (WEED)
Johannes Peter
Policy Officer Business & Human Rights
Germany

Western Watersheds Project
Kelly Fuller
Energy and Mining Campaign Director
United States

Wildsight
Wyatt Petryshen
Mining Coordinator
Canada

Xat’sull (Soda Creek) First Nation
Bev Sellars
Canada

Youth for Environment, Education and Development Foundation
Anish Shrestha
Nepal

Zaikomena
Ernest Kreutzer
Founder
Madagascar

Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association
Obert Bore
Chinese Investments Fellow
Zimbabwe