China and russia block critical minerals language from cop30 climate agreement

At last month’s UN climate summit in Brazil, delegates successfully adopted a groundbreaking mechanism to coordinate global action toward a just energy transition away from fossil fuels. However, a crucial provision addressing the environmental and social risks of critical mineral mining was stripped from the final agreement after China and Russia refused to support it.

The removed language would have acknowledged “the social and environmental risks associated with scaling up supply chains for clean energy technologies, including risks arising from the extraction and processing of critical minerals.” This represented the first attempt to include critical minerals governance within official UN climate negotiations, addressing a growing concern as the world rushes to secure materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel essential for solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries.

A broad coalition supported the inclusion, spanning Australia, the European Union, African nations, small island states, and many Latin American countries. These delegates argued that any serious discussion of clean energy transition must grapple with the environmental destruction and human rights abuses often associated with mining operations for renewable energy materials.

According to Emily Iona Stewart from Global Witness, China made clear that any minerals governance language was “a red line” that would not be crossed. The opposition effectively killed the provision despite widespread support, highlighting the geopolitical tensions that continue to complicate global climate action. China controls significant portions of critical mineral processing, while Russia is a major supplier of nickel and other essential materials.