The Renewable Energy Transition, Critical Minerals, and Conflict Risks
Publisher: Environmental Research Letters
Author(s): Tobias Ide
Date: 2026
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Extractive Resources
The transition towards renewable energies is well under way, and it holds significant promises for societies around the world. This Perspective provides a concise overview about conflicts related to transition minerals. It discusses how mining such minerals increases the risk of various types of conflict before outlining the impacts of such conflicts. The final section briefly reflects on pathways towards peace and conflict sensitivity, including recommendations for future research.