Published on: 2026-07-22
Source: United Nations – Объединенные Нации –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Daniel Dickinson
July 21, 2026 Economic Development
Minerals extracted from the Earth’s crust are necessary for the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, and smartphones. As countries accelerate the transition to clean energy by reducing fossil fuel consumption, demand for minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and graphite is rapidly growing. For many countries, this opens unprecedented economic opportunities; however, in some regions, competition for these resources is already leading to conflicts, corruption, environmental destruction, and human rights violations.
This week, the UN Security Council is discussing a fundamentally important question: can minerals that provide the basis for the “green” energy transition also serve as a foundation for peace and sustainable development?
Why is this important right now?
Demand for critical minerals is growing exponentially as the use of renewable energy sources and battery technologies expands.
Why are they so valued?
Without them, the transition to clean energy and the rejection of fossil fuels, which accelerate climate change, are impossible.
What’s the problem?
With weak governance, valuable natural resources can become a source of conflicts, corruption, and environmental degradation.
What is the UN aiming for?
Ensure that the wealth of mineral resources benefits local communities, rather than becoming a source of funding for violence.
© UNEP Electric buses at a charging station in Kenya.
What are critical minerals?
Critical minerals are indispensable components of many modern technologies, including:
batteries for electric vehicles;
wind turbines;
solar panels;
electric networks;
smartphones and other electronics.
Many clean energy technologies simply could not exist without these minerals.
Where are their main reserves located?
Large deposits are located in countries of Africa, Latin America, and certain regions of Asia.
For many countries that extract these resources, they open up enormous opportunities for job creation, economic diversification, and increasing government revenues.
However, success largely depends on how effectively and responsibly these natural resources will be extracted and used.
Why is demand growing so quickly?
The global transition to clean energy is gaining momentum.
The production of an electric vehicle requires about six times more mineral raw materials than for a car with an internal combustion engine.
Offshore wind power plants use approximately 13 times more mineral resources than conventional ones.
Demand for many critical minerals is expected to triple by 2030.
According to many experts, their strategic significance today is comparable to the role oil played in the 20th century.
© Adobe Stock/Unlimit3d Lithium-ion battery production.
Doesn’t mining harm the environment?
Extraction is necessary, but without proper regulation it can cause serious harm to nature.
Poorly controlled extraction can lead to:
deforestation;
water resource pollution;
loss of biodiversity;
soil degradation;
growth of greenhouse gas emissions.
Many deposits are located near the territories inhabited by indigenous peoples and in environmentally vulnerable areas.
The main question is not whether these minerals should be extracted, but how to approach it responsibly.
Why is this question being discussed by the Security Council?
Natural resources have long been a cause of armed conflicts.
The Security Council is discussing concerns related to:
armed groups establish control over valuable deposits;
illegal mining funds armed conflicts;
criminal networks profit from mineral smuggling;
weak government management contributes to instability.
A broader question is whether the growing global demand for critical minerals will lead to increased geopolitical tensions or, on the contrary, become a factor of peace and sustainable development.
Key message of the UN
UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “A world running on renewable energy is a world with enormous demand for critical minerals.”
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.