Supporting a Just Transition Through Responsible Business Conduct in Africa: 2024-2027
Project Summary
The Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) is proud to be part of the regional consortium implementing the project “Supporting a Just Transition Through Responsible Business Conduct in Africa 2024-2027.” Financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Regional Office in Addis Ababa, this initiative is delivered in partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), HakiRasilimali, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), and African Resources Watch (AFREWATCH).
This project aims to integrate human rights into Africa’s Just Transition, with a particular focus on the role of transition minerals—critical for the global shift to clean energy. It seeks to promote Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) by ensuring that mining activities supporting the energy transition do not come at the expense of human rights, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
Project Components & Workstreams
The intervention is structured around two main components—each with clear workstreams that operationalize the overall mission:
Component A: Country-Level Engagement (Zimbabwe & Tanzania)
At the country level, the project seeks to instigate a ripple effect—grounded in documentation, remedy, and capacity building—that tangibly improves outcomes for communities impacted by transition minerals business practices.
- Identifying & Documenting Human Rights Impacts
- Map and capture evidence of human rights violations stemming from transition minerals activities.
- Engage local communities and experts in data collection and impact assessment.
- Supporting Access to Remedy
- Design mechanisms and legal support systems that facilitate effective redress and remedy.
- Collaborate with local civil society to ensure affected populations have clear channels for justice.
- Building Stakeholder Capacity & Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Policy Dialogues
- Organize training sessions, workshops, and roundtables with local and national actors.
- Foster an inclusive dialogue that bridges business, government, and civil society perspectives on RBC.
Component B: Regional-Level Engagement
At the regional level, the project advances a collective approach through deep-dive case studies, strategic policy advocacy, and integration recommendations across investment and value chains.
- Integrating Human Rights & RBC in Zonal DRC-Zambia Just Transition Case Studies
- Develop detailed case studies to showcase best practices and identify gaps in current approaches.
- Utilize lessons learned to inform regional policy and practice.
- Regional Policy Analysis, Dialogues, and Advocacy on RBC and the Just Transition
- Conduct thematic analysis and facilitate dialogues among key regional stakeholders.
- Advocate for harmonized policies that incorporate robust human rights safeguards.
- Integrating Human Rights & RBC in Investment and Value Chains for the Just Transition
- Analyse the existing investment frameworks and supply/value chains.
- Recommend and pilot measures that embed human rights and ethical business practices.
Expected Results
- Enhanced Transparency & Accountability: Clear documentation and remedy pathways promote accountability in transition minerals extraction and processing.
- Empowered Communities: Capacity building and access to justice ensure that affected communities can claim their rights.
- Policy Influence: Regional multi-stakeholder dialogues and evidence-based case studies shape more ethically grounded investment strategies and business practices.
- Sustainable Development: Integration of human rights in business and investment decisions paves the way for a fair, inclusive, and environmentally responsible transition.