Organiser: IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands - IUCN NL, Both Ends, FERN and Natuur & Milieu
Summary
The session will discuss and elaborate on the ecological footprint of the energy transition and more specifically on forests and nickel mining. We will address the issue from Global, European and National perspectives. The session may be of specific interest to policymakers, investors and the private sector. Join us!
Abstract
Today's world is facing several major crises, including in the areas of energy, climate, biodiversity and health. It is increasingly recognized that nature plays a vital role in resolving these often interconnected crises. However, growing global demand for minerals and metals, also driven by the energy transition, is fueling a mining boom of unprecedented proportions, often in forested areas.
In our session, as an example, we will elaborate specifically on the consequences of mining for nickel in Indonesia for the primary forests of Sulawesi and the threats to its biodiversity and people. We will discuss the role of trade agreements and show the urgent need for stronger environmental and human rights safeguards for the mining of nickel/ energy transition minerals in EU legislation such as the CRMA. We will also focus on the urgent need for more circularity and shared mobility to reduce the demand for these minerals.
Agenda:
- 17.00 – 17.10: IUCN NL introduces the dilemmas of the EU energy transition and its global footprint and sets the scene with visuals from the field (focus on nickel mining from East Indonesia). IUCN NL presenter Mark van de Wal (Senior Expert Ecosystems & Extractives).
- 17.10 – 17.20: Both Ends presenter Marius Troost (Senior Policy Advisor)
Both Ends follows with a focus on the role of Trade Agreements and their impacts. The current policies of Europe are aimed at securing the minerals required for the energy transition. Consequently, trade rules and trade agreements play a key instrument at securing these resources. Traditionally, trade rules have favored the global North. As long as the EU continues to consume large amounts of resources, it should pay a fair price for this where trading partners also benefit. Especially if we desire to raise the environmental standards, the EU should stop focusing on getting access to cheap raw materials, and rather reduce its material consumption, pay a fair price and signal that it is willing to invest & share knowledge in more sustainable means of (metals) production in for example Indonesia. This should be reflected in the EU’s positioning at the WTO and in trade negotiations. Towards a truly equal partnership. Q &A - 17.20 – 17.30: FERN presenter Perrine Fournier (Forests and Trade campaigner) follows with a focus on the role of EU legislation; the measures taken, the opportunities and challenges. The expected rapid growth in demand for critical raw materials will create huge challenges for countries and regions that are rich in these resources. While the Critical Raw Materials Act acknowledges this and includes measures to mitigate the social and environmental risks and benefit partner countries, the focus on speed of implementation and on gaining security of access raises concerns as to whether these measures will be sufficient. One of the tools to ensure the sustainable and ethical purchase of critical raw materials is EU laws requiring mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. There has been an increasing number of legal requirements for companies to implement supply chain due diligence. It is important, however, not to consider any of these regulations as a silver bullet, they will need to be implemented hand-in-hand with more innovative demand-side measures to reduce overconsumption and Strategic Partnerships between the EU and producer countries. Q & A
- 17.30 – 17.40: Natuur & Milieu presenter Fenna Plaisier (Project leader Mobility & Spatial Planning) follows with a focus on their efforts and the opportunities from a national (The Netherlands) context. They will focus on circularity & material use reduction and present their research on this topic. The energy transition is in essence a raw material transition. Mistakes made with fossil fuels are that societies desired to have cheap materials. This created a dependency on materials, like oil, gas, and coal. The energy transition should also be a transition of ideas on how our society should be organised. It’s a mind shift which should lead to different goals in society. Rather than focussing on high volume and low prices, we should be focussing on minimizing the use of materials and thus building a resilient economy. Q & A
- 17.40 – 17.50: Discussion and closing remarks by IUCN NL