Africa: Sustainable resource extraction is a non-negotiable

Zawya

6 hours ago

Insight Terra CEO Alastair Bovim warns that within Africa's 'clean dream' vision lies a difficult truth: the critical metals and minerals powering the clean-energy transition are often extracted under conditions that can potentially devastate communities and ecosystems in resource-rich regions.
Sustainable resource extraction is not just an ethical imperative, but a non-negotiable element for the long-term viability and legitimacy of this global shift.
Radical reframing of the global clean‑energy
The US Embassy health alert in Zambia warned of acute heavy‑metal poisoning following the February tailings dam collapse near Kitwe – a potent reminder that tailings failures have immediate human and environmental consequences.
With over five major dam failures already recorded around the world in 2025, these events not only threaten water supplies and soil health but also erode trust in both the mining industry and the energy transition it underpins.
Drawing on his recent visits to the Copperbelt Annual Geoenvironmental Symposium 2025 in Kitwe, his participation in the ABB LeaderLeap programme in Stockholm and the AWS Energy and Utilities summit in Houston, Bovim calls for a radical reframing of the global clean‑energy narrative: one that addresses the impact of sourcing copper, cobalt, lithium, and other critical metals and minerals in truly sustainable practices from mine to market.
AI and the environment
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to profoundly reshape global energy demand while simultaneously accelerating innovation in decarbonisation technologies - but this transformation is not without cost.
'While the US and Europe reap the greatest benefits from AI and clean energy, it is African communities that bear the brunt of the mining required to power this transition.
'We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the environmental and social sacrifices made in the name of progress. In Kitwe, I saw communities forced to use bottled water,' Bovim recalls.
'Decades of air pollutants from mining operations, smelters and ore transport and tailings dams have also resulted in environmental exposure to people, wildlife and agricultural land, yet these critical metals and minerals remain indispensable to the energy transition.'
He believes that technology offers a vital bridge between people and planet, provided it is guided by a people‑first mindset.
With the help of satellite connectivity, remote earth-observation sensors, IoT networks and AI analytics, it is now possible to gather continuous data on water quality, dust emissions and dam stability, thereby providing the monitoring, reporting, and verification required for supply chain transparency, environmental accountability, and responsible resource management.
True accountability
Bovim warns against 'tick‑box' compliance efforts. 'Automated systems are powerful, but they cannot wholly replace local knowledge and human oversight,' he says.
'True accountability demands that technology be deployed in close collaboration with engineers of record, community leaders, and regulators, calibrating alerts and response plans to reflect local realities.'
He highlights that a people‑centred ESG lens must move beyond compliance metrics to focus on tangible outcomes:
- Fair labour practices: Ensuring safe working conditions and equitable benefit‑sharing for mine‑affected communities.
- Environmental remediation: Investing in bioremediation techniques – such as advanced microbial treatments - to neutralise pollutants long after mine closure, and planting crops in rehabilitated land.
- Regulatory strengthening: Advocating for robust frameworks that mandate independent monitoring, secure financial provision for closure, and transparent public reporting.
'It was inspiring to learn that some leading European energy companies have set ambitious fossil-free and net-zero goals across their value chains; however, the mining operations that underpin our electric future still have significant progress to make in advancing safety standards and environmental stewardship.
'To truly align with their sustainability commitments, energy companies must also integrate responsible sourcing practices for critical metals and minerals into their supply chains, ensuring that the foundations of the clean energy transition are as ethical and sustainable as its outcomes," says Bovim.
Following the recent Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, Bovim urges energy and mining leaders to embed sustainable resource extraction at the heart of their strategies.
'The glitter of clean energy cannot blind us to its true environmental cost. We must integrate responsible resourcing across the entire value chain, from design and exploration through to closure and rehabilitation. Only then can we build an energy future that is both clean and just.'
He outlines concrete steps:
- Champion global standards: Back initiatives such as the ICMM's Nature Positive framework to align mining practices with biodiversity and climate goals, or the Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM) for specific regulations on tailing dam management.
- Mandate transparency: Require energy and mining firms to disclose social and environmental performance, enabling investors and communities to make informed decisions.
- Empower communities: Ensure local voices guide project planning, monitoring, and benefit‑sharing, transforming passive observers into active partners.
- Invest in innovation: Prioritise technologies that enable proactive, data-driven management across the full lifecycle of mining and energy projects, from exploration to closure and rehabilitation.
As Europe and North America draw closer to their net‑zero targets, the burden of raw‑material extraction falls heavily on African nations. Bovim stresses that responsible production is inseparable from responsible consumption.
'If we ask developing communities to shoulder the environmental risks of our clean‑energy technologies, we owe them the highest standards of safety, transparency, and remediation.
'That is the only way to ensure the energy transition benefits people and the planet alike,' he concludes.
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