Recently, it has been argued that a rapid transition is unjust—particularly because of concerns about mining critical minerals, including for EVs. Specific concerns have been raised about deaths among artisanal and small-scale cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But a new analysis shows replacing petrol and diesel cars with EVs will save vastly more lives (by reducing air pollution and heat-related deaths due to climate change) than stopping artisanal mining.
The article has been accepted for publication in Global Sustainability the same week the University of Exeter hosts the Exeter Climate Forum.
"Climate change is deeply unjust—it disproportionately harms poorer people worldwide, while being largely caused by rich people," said Professor Tim Lenton, from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. "So, rather than slowing climate action, supposedly in the name of justice, the focus should be on improving safety for miners, including artisanal miners in DRC.
"There is no doubt that the benefits of the green transition—the harms it avoids both globally and for the least advantaged people—far outweigh any harms it causes."
Tens of millions of people are already exposed to dangerous heat, and climate change is rapidly increasing this number.
