The Human Cost:
Human Rights Abuses in
Critical Mineral Mining
Lithium mining can involve unsafe labour, poor pay, child labour and community marginalisation.
Rapid global demand and weak governance allow these human rights abuses to persist, undermining workers, communities, and long-term sustainability.
Widespread Violations
510 alleged human rights violations documented between 2010-2022 in critical mineral mining operations, as reported by Inside Climate News.
Corporate Involvement
93 corporations operating across 172 large-scale mining sites were implicated in these abuses.
Nature of Abuses
Violations include horrific acts such as assaults, child labour, arbitrary arrests, and detentions.
Environmental Crimes
Severe environmental crimes, including the pollution of drinking water sources, are frequently committed.
Community Disregard
Blatant violations of communities’ rights to be consulted about projects impacting their lands and lives.
Attacks on Defenders
A staggering 157 alleged attacks on human rights defenders were recorded, highlighting extreme risks.
Escalating Corruption
Corruption incidents increased by 24% in 2022 alone, pointing to a worsening ethical landscape.
Geographic Concentration
The majority of critical minerals are found in countries with consistently poor corruption rankings, exacerbating risks.
East Durham's Contribution to Global Damage
BESS projects in East Durham are directly contributing to global environmental destruction and human rights violations. Each battery installation requires massive amounts of environmentally destructive lithium mining, impacting fragile ecosystems and communities worldwide, as highlighted by GreenMatch research and the Inside Climate News report.