As the world races to decarbonise, the push for clean energy, if not monitored, could lead to continued colonial practices of exploitation, social injustice and environmental harm in mineral-rich, often Indigenous territories. This is why it was so significant that South Africa focused on this agenda during its 2025 G20 presidency. In continuation of South Africa’s TF5 mission to ensure a more sustainable, equitable and resilient world, this policy recommendation for the US’s G20 presidency focuses on ensuring a just and decolonial approach to the current energy transition. It is a timely topic, given that this transition to a low-carbon economy is in its very beginning stages. A thoughtful approach today could pave the way for a sustainable future for years to come.

During its 2025 G20 presidency, South Africa had a historic opportunity to reframe the global conversation. And it did. It established Mission 300, which focuses on prioritising energy access to developing nations, specifically to 300 million Africans by 2030. What the US presidency should therefore take forward is championing a decolonial approach to the governance of critical minerals – one that places equity, sovereignty and sustainability at the heart of the energy transition. The UN Secretary-General’s panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has already set the precedent for this, which the G20 can use as a framework.

The demand for critical minerals – lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths and platinum group metals – is soaring. These are the building blocks of renewable technologies, from solar panels to electric vehicle batteries. Yet the extraction and governance of these resources risk entrenching new colonial dynamics: the Global South provides the raw materials, while the Global North captures the value. Africa holds around 30% of the world’s mineral reserves essential for the clean energy transition. Yet the continent captures only a fraction of the value from these resources. Most minerals are exported in raw form, leaving African economies vulnerable to commodity price swings and dependent on foreign technology and finance.

The International Renewable Energy Agency expects the technical evolution of critical materials to be shaped by three shifting and overlapping dynamics: physical constraints, disruptive innovation and the circular economy. We are in the nascent stage of these dynamics and hence need to urgently lay the ground rules for what a truly fair and sustainable energy transition could look like for all countries. The aim is to advance Sustainable Development Goal 10, which aims to reduce inequality within and among countries, rather than move further away from it.

Policy recommendations for ensuring a just and decolonialised approach to the energy transition

1. Sovereign resource governance

During the current energy transition, countries that were once dependent on fossil fuels need to rehabilitate their mine sites and scale up their renewable energy. The UNFCCC has put together a comprehensive study on economic diversification strategies. If the G20 countries follow this mandate, the adverse impact on fossil fuel-dependent countries will be a lot more manageable. The study cites various examples, including a strategy in Nigeria to promote agroecology at the national and regional level. In India, a project supplies technical assistance to accelerate the development of capacity-building programmes for solar parks and infrastructure.

2. Local value chain development

To mitigate the risk of being trapped in neo-colonial patterns of resource extraction, where external actors benefit more from the extraction of critical minerals than local populations, countries must focus on local value chain development in the energy transition sector. This provides a more holistic approach to the shift in economic activity, reducing reliance on foreign countries and thereby mitigating the risk of falling back into systemic and unequal global value chains.

3. Climate justice financing

Developed nations have historically contributed the most to carbon emissions, yet developing countries are most exposed to the physical effects of climate change. There are several multilateral groupings and forums proposing solutions to address this inequality; however, the G20 needs to establish a coordination mechanism among these groups to translate theory into practice. One G20 policy recommendation – debt resolution by coordination – sheds light on the steps needed to make this happen. Addressing this will ensure a more sustainable and equitable approach to the global energy transition.

4. South–South technology partnerships

The UN Office for South–South Cooperation claims that South-South collaboration will be transformational towards achieving the 2030 agenda. Historically, countries in the Global South have faced similar political and economic challenges. The energy transition is no different. Therefore, if the G20 supports knowledge-sharing and resource-pooling entities, especially among Global South countries, this will eventually lead to a less skewed value chain and one that attempts to undo systemic inequalities towards a more equitable future. Examples of entities in the Global South working towards this purpose are the International Solar Alliance, The Energy and Resources Institute and The Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation.

Decolonising critical minerals governance is not only about fairness – it is also about resilience, security and shared prosperity. True sustainability demands both decarbonisation and decolonisation. At its core, a just transition in the mining industry means that the benefits and burdens of the global energy shift are shared fairly, and that mining companies proactively uphold human rights and justice as they adapt to a decarbonising economy and expand operations to meet growing demand.