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Race for critical minerals: The social and environmental trade-off

What are the social and environmental costs of the race for critical minerals? Minerals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel are crucial for the development of new technology, including clean energy. But mining and refining them can be hugely polluting and water intensive โ€“ with a ri

Race for critical minerals: The social and environmental trade-off
France 24 โ€” 11 June 2026
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What are the social and environmental costs of the race for critical minerals? Minerals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel are crucial for the development of new technology, including clean energy. But mining and refining them can be hugely polluting and water intensiveย โ€“ with a risk of deforestation, water contamination, and health problems for local communities. Studies suggest that about half of mining projects around the world are on or near indigenous lands.

This report comes from France 24. The story centres on Race for critical minerals: The social and environmental trade-off. Full coverage and background context is available at the original source. Readers seeking more detail on this developing topic are encouraged to follow updates from France 24 and related outlets covering this beat.

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