A Just Transition for Cobalt: Powering a Fair Low Carbon Future Ahead of COP30
This blog was written by Tom Fairlie and Alec Popper from the Cobalt Institute’s Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability team.
As the world turns its attention to COP30, the conversation around climate action and equity has never been more urgent. In this critical moment, Cobalt Institute reaffirms its commitment to advancing a just transition - one that delivers decarbonisation while protecting human rights and livelihoods across the cobalt value chain.
The Just Transition: Fairness at the Heart of Climate Action
The just transition means decarbonising the global economy in a way that is fair, inclusive, and leaves no one behind. It is about creating decent work, supporting affected rightsholders and communities, and embedding respect for human rights in every aspect of the shift to low carbon. It is respecting the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as recognised by the UN General Assembly in 2022.
For Cobalt Institute, this means applying and strengthening environmental and human rights due diligence (EHRDD) across the cobalt value chain, extending it to all actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The goal is clear: to enable a cleaner energy future that is built on resilience, fairness, and shared prosperity.
Our commitment to a fair and inclusive energy transition is not new. In October 2021, the Institute issued its Call to Action: Putting People at the Heart of the Decarbonization of Transportation, urging policymakers and industry alike to ensure that climate action does not come at the expense of people and communities. That call laid the foundation for our ongoing advocacy for a Just Transition within the cobalt industry.
“The Cobalt Institute has long recognised that climate ambition must go hand in hand with social responsibility. Since our 2021 Call to Action, we’ve advocated for a just transition that safeguards people and communities while driving a low carbon future for the cobalt industry.”
– Susannah McLaren, Head of Responsible Sourcing & Sustainability, Cobalt Institute
Cobalt’s Role in a Decarbonised Future
Cobalt plays a pivotal role in enabling the technologies that will power the low carbon economy - from electric vehicles to renewable energy storage, with these technologies having the potential to abate some 3.5 gigatonnes CO2e per year by 2050. Yet the cobalt industry recognises that essentiality is not immunity. Companies cannot rely on cobalt’s critical status to overlook the environmental and human rights impacts within their operations, business partnerships and supply chains.
Our 2024 report, A Just Cobalt Decarbonisation Pathway, outlines an ambitious trajectory for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: 30% by 2030, 47% by 2040, and 80% by 2050. The report also underscores the need for EHRDD when implementing abatement actions, such as building renewable energy infrastructure or switching to lower carbon suppliers.
Projected cobalt industry emissions through to 2050 (Mt CO2e)
These measures are not only ethical imperatives but also strategic ones - strengthening business resilience, building trust with affected rightsholders, and enhancing investor confidence in an increasingly sustainability-driven marketplace.
COP30 in Belém: Advancing the Just Transition
Set to take place in Belém, Brazil, from 10-21 November, COP30 will mark a pivotal moment in the global response to climate change. As the first COP hosted in the Amazon region, it will spotlight the importance of protecting vital ecosystems and ensuring that climate action delivers tangible benefits for people and nature alike.
The conference will also serve as a key checkpoint in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, with countries expected to present updated and more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This makes COP30 a critical platform for translating climate commitments into concrete action across all sectors of the economy - including those that underpin the energy transition, such as critical minerals.
For the cobalt industry, COP30 represents an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in aligning decarbonisation with respect for human rights and community resilience. By embedding EHRDD aligned with authoritative international frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises into every step of the transition, the industry can show what a just transition in practice looks like.
As the world gathers in Belém, Cobalt Institute will be there - contributing to discussions on how critical minerals can enable a fair, inclusive, and effective pathway to net zero.
The just transition is not an abstract ideal - it is a practical framework for how industries like cobalt can balance decarbonisation with dignity, transparency, and fairness. By integrating human rights and sustainability into its climate strategy, the cobalt industry can lead the way in delivering a low carbon future that benefits people and the planet. Cobalt Institute will continue to champion this vision, ensuring that the world’s pathway to net zero is powered by cobalt produced responsibly, sustainably, and equitably.
