“A transition that leaves the most vulnerable people behind isn’t a revolution – it’s just another transaction.”
Have you heard of the COP30?
Think of it as the “main event” of climate action. Organized by the United Nations, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) recently wrapped up in Belém, Brazil. It brought together world leaders, scientists, and activists with one massive goal: to stop our planet from heating up past the critical 1.5°C limit.
This gathering isn’t just high-level talk. It’s about survival – of our planet, of our future, of humankind. And, specifically for the Philippines, how to weather the next storm. This is where countries negotiate critical issues such as who cuts pollution, and, crucially, who pays for it.
At the centerstage of this event is the green transition.
Green transition is the process of shifting society’s use of carbon emitting technologies or “dirty energy” (e.g., coal power plants) towards environmentally sustainable technologies (e.g. from wind and solar). For us in the Philippines, a country battered by extreme heat and super typhoons, this shift isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s the only way to ensure a livable future.
A key element for the green transition is a set of minerals that are known as transition minerals. These are essential in building the technologies for green transition such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and electric batteries. For example, lithium, nickel, and cobalt are used for storing energy in electric batteries. In another case, rare earth elements are used in motors that power our electric vehicles. Without these minerals, the green transition comes to a grinding halt. They are the oil of the 21st century.
As the green transition calls for more environmentally sustainable technologies, our focus will shift from fossil fuels to these minerals. This brings us to a tough reality. As the world rushes to ditch fossil fuels, the demand for these minerals is exploding. The power dynamic is shifting to whoever controls the supply chain. Right now, more of these minerals are being mined in anticipation of the inevitability of green transition. Although mining of these minerals is geared towards a brighter future, this can come with costs – costs that may be harmful to climate-vulnerable countries. Digging up the ingredients for a cleaner planet often comes with a messy price tag.
While transition minerals are essential for achieving green transition, there are issues and challenges associated with it. Extracting these minerals often comes with heavy social and environmental costs. In many places, mining is linked to human rights abuses—community displacement, land grabbing, unfair wages, and dangerous working conditions. Environmentally, it can lead to deforestation, water contamination, and soil erosion that leads to unprecedented flooding, affecting communities and livelihoods.
Is green transition meant to be a trade-off of the “good” benefits and its “bad” effects? Can we strike a balance?
This puts the Philippines in the spotlight. As the world’s second-largest nickel producer and exporter of nickel ore accounting for 11% of global production (source: GlobalData, 2024), our country is at the center of global supply chains powering the green transition. The nickel sitting in our soil is the juice that powers the batteries of the future.
But here is the frustrating part. Despite the urgency, the final COP30 report removed the discussion on transition minerals.
Why does this matter?
Without clearly defined frameworks and mechanisms for the green transition, there is no accountability, fair benefit-sharing, and human rights protection. This undermines the global and coordinated position on a just transition initiative. Therefore, there is a need for the Philippines to step up and ensure that a just transition is implemented in the country: to be “green”, the transition must be fair for all stakeholders, rights-respecting, and inclusive.
Considering that the Philippines is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries and has vulnerable groups in mining communities, strong governance is needed to:
• Instigate domestic policy reform – ensure environmental laws and mining regulations are fully enforced and strengthened.
• Ensure inclusive economic transformation – instill fair revenue sharing with affected communities and develop processing capacity to improve value instead of exporting raw nickel ore
• Advocate for global policy – with the country’s position as a climate-vulnerable and resource-rich nation, we can advocate for policies on responsible and ethical sourcing to “green” the supply chains
• Demand accountability – Companies that produce electric vehicles must trace their supply chains and practice full transparency
While the shift to renewable energy is non-negotiable, how we get there matters. We must ensure it doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the industrial past. After all, there is no point in saving the planet if we destroy our own backyard to do it. A transition that leaves the most vulnerable people behind isn’t a revolution – it’s just another transaction.
Dr. Jonna C. Baquillas is an Associate Professor at the Department of Marketing and Advertising, Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. Dr. Ivan Gue is the Chairperson of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gokongwei College of Engineering in the same university. They are engaged in research works and projects focused on circular economy, sustainable transitions, and sustainable consumption and production.
The views expressed above are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.
