NAIROBI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- A task force to guide the sustainable utilization of minerals critical to the global green energy transition was launched on Wednesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, during the ongoing seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7).
The UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals will be overseen by the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the United Nations Development Program.
It will mobilize key stakeholders, including governments, industry, and civil society, to promote responsible extraction and use of minerals that underpin the clean energy transition.
Selwin Hart, special adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, said the world is on the verge of a green energy revolution, underscoring the need to establish policy and regulatory safeguards to prevent environmental harm.
"The global demand for energy transition minerals is expected to more than double, and these resource-rich developing countries should be at the center of the clean energy economy, not at its margins," Hart said.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said the multilateral environmental agenda has prioritized the sound management of minerals that power the green energy transition to reduce carbon footprints and harm to ecosystems.
Anderson also hailed the adoption of Resolution 6/8 on the environmental aspects of critical minerals and metals at UNEA-6 in March 2024, saying it cleared the way for sustainable management by embracing circular economy principles.
She added that negotiations are underway at UNEA-7 to strengthen international cooperation on the responsible exploitation of rare earths, with an emphasis on traceability, human rights, and transparency.
"We look forward to contributing to technical discussions on value addition, traceability, and artisanal small-scale mining. Multilateral cooperation is essential to respond to growing demand for minerals and metals," said Andersen. ■