Perrine Fournier, a trade, mining, and forest campaigner at Fern, emphasizes the urgent need to declare certain areas off-limits to mining to protect vital ecosystems. As global demand for minerals like copper, cobalt, and lithium surges due to the energy transition, the environmental threats from mining are escalating. This mining boom, driven by the need for electric vehicles and clean energy technologies, poses significant risks to ecosystems such as tropical forests, which are crucial for combating climate change.
To address these threats, Fournier advocates for the establishment of mining no-go zones, a concept supported by Indigenous groups. Fern and various NGOs are working together to develop a methodology that identifies areas where mining should be prohibited due to unacceptable social, environmental, and human rights-related risks.
Criteria for No-Go Zones
The proposed methodology outlines six criteria for determining no-go zones. These include:
- Areas protected under international conventions
- High conservation value areas, including intact forests and biodiversity hotspots
- Critical carbon storage ecosystems such as peatlands and wetlands
- Significant ecosystems like mangroves and grasslands
- Critical water bodies
- Indigenous Peoples’ territories
A significant portion of the metals required for the energy transition is found on or near Indigenous territories. For instance, in Brazil, mining expansion threatens the conservation of 363,000 km² of protected land in the Amazon, home to 195,000 traditional and Indigenous people.
The Impact of Mining in Sensitive Areas
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, mining has devastated the Miombo forest, impacting local food security. Similarly, in Europe, the European Commission's decisions regarding strategic mining sites have raised concerns about disregarding expert advice and threatening fragile ecosystems.
