November 19, 2025 | 18:30-20:00 | Side Event Room 2, Blue Zone, COP30

Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETM) are essential for building key technologies used in

the energy transition towards achieving global climate goals. To ensure that the energy

transition does not come at the expense of mineral-producing regions, greater attention

must be paid to minimizing adverse environmental and social impacts while maximizing the

positive contributions that mineral value chains can make to inclusive growth and economic

transformation. 

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals published its report entitled “Resourcing the Energy Transition: Principles to Guide Critical Energy Transition Minerals Toward Equity and Justice” proposing seven Guiding Principles and five Actionable Recommendations (ARs). Among these, AR1 and AR2 emphasize the importance of value addition, economic diversification, and robust traceability frameworks  across mineral supply chains. Complementing this, the UN Guidance for Action on Critical Energy Transition Minerals elaborates on the principles, referring to specific standards, policies, case studies, knowledge resources, partnerships, and programmes to assist countries in their effective implementation.

This event will showcase how the UN Guiding Principles on CETM are implemented to build

fair, equitable, and responsible mineral value chains, and how the UN can support

developing mineral-producing countries in minimizing negative externalities and maximizing

the positive contributions of these value chains to sustainable development.