artisanal miners pan for gold in mine in drc, africa
An artisanal miner pans for gold at the Mufa II gold mining site in South Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on April 11 2015. Phil Moore / Global Witness

Africa

Millions are already feeling the force of the climate emergency across the African continent, where global heating has outpaced the rest of the world for decades.

Rich in both mineral deposits and oil, the region stands poised to play a decisive role in our planet’s changing climate. In the past, companies and governments have eyed up African countries' plentiful oil and gas reserves, which are implicated in charges of corruption and human rights abuses. Today, it is the bountiful supply of transition minerals, like lithium, cobalt and copper, that has caught the world’s attention. We're pushing for robust regulations as Africa’s mines fuel the clean energy transition, lest old colonial structures re-emerge and prevent communities from reaping the industry’s rewards.