南非的能源困境：采矿业和绿色能源的双重打击

南非最近宣布显着改善能源供应，但遭到了质疑，批评者将其归因于竞选活动，而不是实质性进展。该国向清洁能源的转型虽然符合全球气候目标，但引起了人们对其对矿产丰富地区社区影响的担忧。可再生能源技术中对关键矿物的高需求正在导致过度开采、环境退化和侵犯人权。尽管气候谈判遵循“共同但有区别的责任”原则，但南非等矿产资源丰富的国家却为全球转型承担着资源开采的负担，却没有为其公民提供足够的补偿或保护。

South Africa's Energy Crisis and the Double Whammy of Mining and the Green Revolution

南非的能源危机以及采矿业和绿色革命的双重打击

Amidst the ongoing energy crisis in South Africa, the country's electricity minister, Sputla Kgosientso, recently announced a significant improvement in the Energy Availability Factor (EAF), reaching 70.8% since 2021. However, this sudden boost has encountered skepticism from analysts and critics, who question whether it is merely an electioneering tactic by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

在南非持续的能源危机中，该国电力部长 Sputla Kgosientso 最近宣布能源可用性系数 (EAF) 显着改善，自 2021 年以来达到 70.8%。然而，这种突然的提升遭到了分析师和批评人士的质疑。他们质疑这是否仅仅是执政的非洲人国民大会（ANC）的一种竞选策略。

The skepticism stems from South Africa's commitment to the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, which advocates for a low-carbon world and the elimination of fossil fuels like coal. However, the push for a 'green revolution' often overlooks the double burden faced by countries like South Africa.

这种怀疑源于南非对 2015 年《巴黎气候变化协议》的承诺，该协议主张建立低碳世界并消除煤炭等化石燃料。然而，推动“绿色革命”往往忽视了南非等国家面临的双重负担。

While being pressured to abandon coal in favor of renewable energy, these countries also bear the responsibility of supplying critical minerals, known as energy transition minerals and metals (ETMs), which are essential for achieving a just energy transition. This double whammy is exemplified by the 2012 Marikana miners' killings and the rampant power outages in South Africa.

这些国家在被迫放弃煤炭而转向可再生能源的同时，还承担着供应关键矿物的责任，这些矿物被称为能源转型矿物和金属（ETM），这对于实现公正的能源转型至关重要。 2012 年马里卡纳矿工被杀事件和南非大规模停电事件就是这种双重打击的例证。

This article aims to shed light on the challenges faced by communities in South Africa's platinum belt and Kalahari region, which are heavily impacted by mineral extraction. It critiques the international principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' for failing to protect mineral-rich countries like South Africa in the global pursuit of green energy.

本文旨在阐明南非铂矿带和卡拉哈里地区社区所面临的挑战，这些地区受到矿物开采的严重影响。它批评“共同但有区别的责任”国际原则未能在全球追求绿色能源的过程中保护南非等矿产资源丰富的国家。

The mining of critical minerals is a crucial component of a just energy transition. Forecasts indicate that ETMs are in high demand across various energy transition sectors, including transmission, distribution, electric vehicles, renewables, and energy storage. However, estimates of the volume of mineral resources required for global energy infrastructure changes vary widely.

关键矿物的开采是公正能源转型的重要组成部分。预测表明，ETM 在各个能源转型领域的需求量很大，包括输电、配电、电动汽车、可再生能源和能源存储。然而，对全球能源基础设施变化所需矿产资源量的估计差异很大。

Factors such as technological advancements, policy decisions, and the stringency of future climate policies all contribute to the uncertainty surrounding ETM demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) emphasizes that the most significant factor influencing demand variability is the uncertainty surrounding climate policies.

技术进步、政策决策以及未来气候政策的严格性等因素都会导致 ETM 需求的不确定性。国际能源署（IEA）强调，影响需求变化的最重要因素是气候政策的不确定性。

The energy transition is expected to significantly increase demand for at least thirty ETMs, with lithium, graphite, cobalt, and nickel experiencing the fastest growth. Essential metals like copper and iron will also see a surge in demand due to their extensive use in power generation and transportation. Electric vehicles and hydrogen technology further drive the demand for various ETMs, including platinum-group metals.

能源转型预计将显着增加对至少 30 个 ETM 的需求，其中锂、石墨、钴和镍的增长最快。由于铜和铁等基本金属在发电和运输领域的广泛应用，其需求也将激增。电动汽车和氢技术进一步推动了对包括铂族金属在内的各种 ETM 的需求。

While the Just Energy Transition (JET) is often hailed as a solution to the climate crisis, evidence points to a darker side within the green industry's supply chain. The Amsterdam-based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) links the growing European demand for manganese in energy transition and steel production to human rights abuses by manganese mining companies in South Africa.

虽然正义能源转型 (JET) 通常被誉为气候危机的解决方案，但有证据表明绿色产业供应链中存在阴暗面。总部位于阿姆斯特丹的跨国公司研究中心 (SOMO) 将欧洲在能源转型和钢铁生产中日益增长的锰需求与南非锰矿开采公司侵犯人权联系起来。

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) refers to ETMs as "green conflict minerals," arguing that they can fuel conflicts in the transition to a low-carbon economy, particularly in countries with weak governance and political instability, where mineral extraction can lead to violence, conflict, and human rights violations.

国际可持续发展研究所 (IISD) 将 ETM 称为“绿色冲突矿物”，认为它们可能会助长向低碳经济转型过程中的冲突，特别是在治理薄弱和政治不稳定的国家，矿物开采可能导致这些国家的冲突加剧。暴力、冲突和侵犯人权行为。

Amidst the global transition towards sustainable energy sources, significant pressure is exerted on resource-rich countries in the Global South, including South Africa. This focus on sustainability in the Global North intensifies the demand for steel, a resource-intensive material crucial for infrastructure development in the transition to a greener economy.

在全球向可持续能源转型的过程中，包括南非在内的资源丰富的南方国家面临着巨大的压力。北半球国家对可持续发展的关注增加了对钢铁的需求，钢铁是一种资源密集型材料，对于向绿色经济转型的基础设施发展至关重要。

Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power heavily rely on steel for their construction. Manganese, often mined under conditions detrimental to human rights and the environment, is distributed globally, primarily for steel production. One-third of European manganese imports originate directly from South Africa, with a larger share entering the EU after refinement in China and Norway.

风能、太阳能和水力发电等可再生能源的建设严重依赖钢铁。锰通常是在不利于人权和环境的条件下开采的，分布在全球范围内，主要用于钢铁生产。欧洲进口的锰有三分之一直接来自南非，其中较大一部分在中国和挪威精炼后进入欧盟。

The Netherlands, the world's fourth-largest importer of ferromanganese, is a major consumer of manganese, which accounts for ninety percent of global manganese demand. The increased demand for manganese in Europe, driven by the energy transition and steel production, is directly linked to adverse human rights impacts.

荷兰是全球第四大锰铁进口国，是锰的主要消费国，占全球锰需求的90%。在能源转型和钢铁生产的推动下，欧洲对锰的需求不断增加，这与不利的人权影响直接相关。

Renewable energy sources like wind turbines, batteries for electric vehicles, and energy storage are driving up the demand for crucial minerals in low- and middle-income countries such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Africa. However, SOMO research reveals that mining in these areas poses serious threats to the environment and human rights, with women and girls disproportionately affected.

风力涡轮机、电动汽车电池和储能等可再生能源正在推动赞比亚、刚果民主共和国和南非等中低收入国家对关键矿物的需求。然而，SOMO 的研究表明，这些地区的采矿活动对环境和人权构成严重威胁，其中妇女和女童受到的影响尤为严重。

Manganese and platinum, among the top thirty key minerals essential for the energy transition, are mainly mined in South Africa, highlighting the potential for negative social and environmental impacts. This is particularly evident in the supply chains of these minerals from South Africa and their utilization in renewable energy technologies.

锰和铂是能源转型必不可少的前 30 名关键矿物之一，主要在南非开采，凸显了潜在的负面社会和环境影响。这在南非这些矿物的供应链及其在可再生能源技术中的利用尤其明显。

Empirical evidence suggests that local communities, especially women in the Kalahari region (home to the world's largest manganese resources), are often excluded from decision-making processes regarding mining activities that directly affect them. Despite court rulings recognizing their right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), this right is often disregarded.

经验证据表明，当地社区，特别是喀拉哈里地区（世界上最大的锰资源所在地）的妇女，常常被排除在直接影响她们的采矿活动的决策过程之外。尽管法院裁决承认他们享有自由、事先和知情同意 (FPIC) 的权利，但这项权利常常被忽视。

Furthermore, communities near mines face health risks like asbestosis and respiratory diseases and suffer from water scarcity and pollution, violating their right to a healthy environment and contravening existing international business and human rights instruments.

此外，矿井附近的社区面临石棉肺和呼吸道疾病等健康风险，并遭受水资源短缺和污染，侵犯了他们享有健康环境的权利，并违反了现有的国际商业和人权文书。

While diligence laws in Europe, such as the Modern Slavery Act (UK) and the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), purport to address these issues, they lack universal support due to criticisms of their 'neo-colonial' nature. Additionally, the absence of a binding treaty to hold companies accountable for human rights abuses creates a legal gap in the international system.

虽然欧洲的尽职调查法，例如《现代奴隶制法》（英国）和欧盟的企业可持续发展尽职调查指令（CS3D），旨在解决这些问题，但由于其“新殖民”性质受到批评，缺乏普遍支持。此外，缺乏具有约束力的条约来追究公司侵犯人权的责任，这在国际体系中造成了法律空白。

As a result, a governance mechanism mirroring the Kimberley Process (KP) for critical minerals accreditation has been proposed. However, in a world already laden with international norms and fierce capitalism, the realization of such a mechanism remains uncertain.

因此，提出了一种反映金伯利进程（KP）关键矿产认证的治理机制。然而，在一个已经充斥着国际规范和激烈资本主义的世界中，这种机制的实现仍然存在不确定性。

The killing of miners in Marikana in 2012 and the widespread load-shedding in South Africa are interconnected consequences of this paradox. The pressure to provide resources for the global green transition strains South Africa's energy grid and leads to labor unrest and instability. The Marikana killings served as a warning to oppressed black workers not to assert their labor rights, casting a shadow over the 'green revolution.'

2012 年马里卡纳矿工遇害事件和南非大面积断电事件是这一悖论相互关联的后果。为全球绿色转型提供资源的压力给南非的能源网带来压力，并导致劳工骚乱和不稳定。马里卡纳屠杀事件警告受压迫的黑人工人不要维护自己的劳工权利，给“绿色革命”蒙上了阴影。

Climate negotiations must consider the double burden faced by mineral-rich countries, who suffer both from the negative impacts of transitioning away from traditional energy sources and the pressure to meet increasing global demand for minerals. The principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' acknowledges that all countries share responsibility for addressing global environmental issues, but their obligations differ based on historical contributions and current capacities.

气候谈判必须考虑矿产资源丰富的国家面临的双重负担，这些国家既承受着从传统能源转型的负面影响，又承受着满足全球不断增长的矿产需求的压力。 “共同但有区别的责任”原则承认，所有国家都对解决全球环境问题负有共同责任，但其义务因历史贡献和当前能力而异。

Future climate negotiations should explore ways to compensate countries like South Africa for the sacrifices they make in the global pursuit of decarbonization. This agenda must target governments of ETM-rich countries, governments in countries experiencing increased demand for manganese due to the transition to low-carbon technologies, mining companies, manufacturers of low-carbon technologies containing ETMs, end users of these technologies, and financial institutions with ties to ETM mining or usage.

未来的气候谈判应探讨如何补偿像南非这样的国家在全球追求脱碳过程中所做出的牺牲。该议程必须针对 ETM 丰富的国家政府、由于向低碳技术过渡而对锰的需求增加的国家政府、矿业公司、包含 ETM 的低碳技术制造商、这些技术的最终用户以及金融机构与 ETM 挖掘或使用相关。

South Africa's green transition is not merely an energy or technological challenge but also a social, economic, and environmental one. Global players cannot continue to ignore the double burden faced by mineral-rich countries in the name of a green revolution. A truly just transition must prioritize the rights and well-being of those most impacted, ensuring that the quest for a sustainable future does not perpetuate injustice.

南非的绿色转型不仅是一项能源或技术挑战，也是一项社会、经济和环境挑战。全球参与者不能继续以绿色革命的名义忽视矿产资源丰富的国家所面临的双重负担。真正公正的过渡必须优先考虑受影响最严重的人的权利和福祉，确保对可持续未来的追求不会使不公正现象长期存在。