The global energy transition is accelerating demand for critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, and copper. Although essential for low-carbon technologies, the extractions of these mineral resources create significant socio-environmental costs. The 11 Letters curated in this Focus Issue of Environmental Research Letters bring interdisciplinary perspectives to highlight the social and environmental complexities of energy-transition mineral extraction. There is a rich diversity of geographies, commodity types, technology uses, methodological approaches, and temporal and spatial scales represented in this issue. They collectively shed light on the complex interactions between extraction, justice, and sustainability concerns for some of the most remote and marginalized frontline regions globally. They also reveal both the urgency and the opportunity for systemic change in how societies govern, monitor, and participate in resource extraction. This editorial synthesizes these contributions, identifies emerging insights, and outlines a forward-looking agenda to help inform discussions across policy and practice on a just and responsible energy transition.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: January 27, 2026 08:12 PM
Atmospheric CO₂
428.6 ppm
+17.4
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1940.59 ppb
+-0.24
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year