Circular, Equitable, and Renewable: Scrutinizing Mineral Requirements to Build a Just Energy Transition
Publisher: Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International
Author(s): Livia Charles, Allison Fabrizio, Osprey Orielle Lake, and Jillianne Lyon
Date: 2026
Topics: Climate Change, Extractive Resources, Gender, Governance
The scope of this policy brief examines the implications of decarbonization, specifically focusing on mining related to renewable energy development; it also identifies some of the critical governance and policy gaps that must be addressed to ensure the implementation of the renewable energy transition is effective, equitable, and safe. The accelerating push to decarbonize energy systems has contributed to the global race to secure the raw materials—commonly referred to as “critical minerals” and referred to in this report as “transition minerals”—used for renewable energy infrastructure. While the rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies is essential to achieving climate targets, it also presents significant social and environmental risks that require careful oversight. The production and scaling of these technologies remain material- and carbon-intensive, with documented negative impacts on ecosystems and communities. This policy brief, therefore, argues that mining for transition minerals must be minimized as much as possible through robust policy changes, economic incentives aligned with planetary boundaries, and shifts in consumption habits. Any transition mineral mining that is deemed essential must be subject to strong safeguards that mitigate human rights violations and environmental risks. Without a political, economic, and cultural shift, the transition to renewable energy risks replicating existing patterns of environmental degradation and social inequality perpetuated by the fossil fuel energy system.