As the developed world races towards net zero goals, its growing demand for battery storage has created an insatiable appetite for critical minerals. However, this green energy transition has cast a dark shadow over vulnerable communities in developing countries.
The Environmental Reporting Collective (ERC), in collaboration with Mongabay, Mongabay Latin America, Initium Media, Investigative Desk, The Fourth, and Malaysiakini, undertook a comprehensive investigation into the human and environmental costs of extracting three critical energy transition minerals: cobalt, nickel, and lithium.
Our investigation revealed disturbing patterns: chronic health issues plaguing communities near cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, devastating changes to local livelihoods in Argentina, and tragic working conditions in Indonesia's nickel mining sector, the world's largest.
The findings highlight how extractive industries typically generate nominal benefits for host countries while developed nations reap the upstream rewards.
Through our investigative reports we expose the stark reality of an unjust transition. This investigation calls for greater scrutiny and enhanced regulation to ensure the path to net zero doesn't come at the cost of human lives and dignity in the developing world.
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