COP30 and the cost of the transition: New mining, old in­equal­i­ties in Brazil

Brazil is positioning itself as a climate leader at COP30, but the rapid expansion of mining for transition minerals is raising serious human rights and environmental concerns. The report shows that regulatory gaps, weakened licensing rules, and unresolved injustices from the Mariana and Brumadinho disasters continue to undermine trust. Communities, especially Indigenous Peoples, quilombolas, and women, remain disproportionately affected by conflicts, pollution, and social harms linked to new extraction projects. Overall, the briefing warns that Brazil’s energy transition risks repeating historical inequalities unless human rights and environmental justice are placed at the centre of mining policies.

Source: adapted from Business and Human Rights Centre, November 2025.