In numbers: Critical mineral production, ownership, and social unrest

Most mining for critical minerals needed for the energy transition is controlled by countries with advanced economies and major consumer countries. But it is mostly less-wealthy countries that are experiencing protests and violence linked to mining. As mining is forecast to spike, it is likely unrest will too.

The world must stop using fossil fuels, but there must be a just energy transition.

Read our findings and methodology, produced by Global Witness in partnership with L'Observatoire Africain des Ressources Naturelles and Jaringan Advokasi Tambang.

Or to find out more, select a mineral below.

Select a mineral:

Lithium

Copper

Cobalt

Nickel

Learn more about Lithium

Lithium is used in batteries, including in electric cars and electricity storage.

Production

Forecast global increase in lithium production, 2021 to 2028.

Consumption

The largest consumer of lithium is China

Percentage of global share, 2024

Global ownership of production

Insufficient data. See methodology section.

Learn more about lithium mining in Australia.

Australia is a top ten producer of lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel.

Mines, protests and violence

Explore the map and hover over events for more information

The map shows one violence and protest event in Australia between 2021-2023 that Global Witness identified from ACLED as linked to lithium production. It also shows lithium mines active in 2024.

Lithium in Australia

A 2024 study found that nearly two thirds of Australia’s operating lithium mines are located on Aboriginal lands. Australian mining has a history of indigenous rights violation allegations, including the 2020 destruction of 46,000 year-old Aboriginal monuments by iron miners.

For additional unrest reports see the Transition Minerals Tracker, the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice, and the Observatory of Mining Conflicts in Latin America.