New Brief Proposes Policies that Reflect Environmental, Social, and Climate Impacts Across the Mineral Supply Chain
As the global energy transition accelerates in response to the climate crisis, demand for transition minerals is rapidly increasing. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand for lithium is expected to grow by nearly eightfold by 2040, while demand for nickel and cobalt is projected to more than double. This surge in demand, however, brings with it new risks of resource-driven crises, including widespread environmental destruction and human rights violations throughout the mineral supply chain.
The UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has warned that "the urgency of the energy transition cannot justify irresponsible practices in mineral supply chains," calling instead for full protection of human rights, environmental protection, and inclusion throughout the supply chain.
In this context, the Climate Ocean Research Institute (CORI) and the Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) jointly released a new policy brief on May 12, titled "Transition Minerals: Challenges Toward a Sustainable Energy Transition." The brief outlines the drivers of rising demand for transition minerals, analyzes the resulting environmental, social, and climate impacts, and offers policy directions focused on demand-side management and stronger accountability in supply chains.
The brief highlights the serious environmental impacts of mineral extraction and production, including deforestation, water contamination, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. It also addresses a wide range of social concerns, including violations of Indigenous rights, poor labor conditions, and threats against environmental and human rights defenders. One striking example is the ongoing nickel development project on Indonesia’s Halmahera Island, which threatens the survival of the Hongana Manyawa—an Indigenous group living in voluntary isolation—symbolizing the complex ethical and social limits of current energy transition pathways.
The brief argues that new technologies, efficiency improvements, and diversification of supply sources alone are not enough to resolve the structural challenges posed by increasing mineral demand. Major international bodies such as the IEA and the International Resource Panel (IRP) have also emphasized that reducing overall resource use through demand-side strategies is essential to achieving a sustainable transition. In this context, the brief calls for systematic policies to promote product lifespan extension, reuse, recycling, and shared-use models as part of a circular economy approach.
The brief further calls on both governments and companies to take responsibility for the entire mineral supply chain—from extraction and refining to manufacturing, consumption, and disposal. Key recommendations include legalizing human rights and environmental due diligence, strengthening disclosure and transparency, establishing effective remedy mechanisms, and upholding Indigenous rights and ecological protection standards.
Hyelyn Kim, Head of Resource Conservation at CORI, stated, "If we are to ensure that the energy transition does not justify new forms of exploitation and inequality, we need fundamental reflection on how we consume resources, and a shift toward demand-side strategies. Now is the time to move beyond a supply-centric approach and redesign mineral policy with circularity and accountability at its core."
Shinyoung Chung, Attorney at APIL, emphasized, "Transition mineral extraction continues to threaten the lives of Indigenous Peoples and impoverished communities across the globe. A just transition cannot happen without protecting their rights. We need strong laws that hold companies accountable for the environmental and human rights impacts in their supply chains."
The brief is available in both Korean and English, with an Indonesian version forthcoming. Full text is available on the websites of CORI and APIL.