A new analysis has found that lawsuits against transition mineral mining firms and renewable energy companies are increasing worldwide. The NGO Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) in its new report published July 1 notes that since 2009, its transition litigation tracking tool has documented 95 legal cases filed against companies linked to the renewable energy value chain — from transition minerals extraction to wind, solar and hydro installations — for allegedly violating human rights. Nearly half the cases were filed by Indigenous peoples, while the rest were filed by local communities and human rights defenders. Three-quarters of the lawsuits were filed starting 2018, indicating a recent rise in such complaints. Most of the cases seek to stop or suspend the project, alleging human rights violations, environmental abuses, and the failure to consult local communities, particularly their right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). More than half (53%) of the 95 lawsuits were initiated in Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by North America (16%), Africa (11%), Europe (9%), Asia (8%), and Australia and Oceania (3%). Elodie Aba, senior legal researcher at BHRRC, told Mongabay’s Aimee Gabay that people affected by transition mineral projects are increasingly turning to courts to uphold their rights. “Most of the time, litigation is going to be the last resort for them. But when there’s no other choice, we can see that people are more aware of their rights now and [are] actually using the tools at their disposal for that,” she said.…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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