Critical Mineral Futures from the Frontlines: Social License or Strategic Failure? The Community Sentiment Controlling the Energy Transition

Critical minerals will shape the energy transition. But too often, strategies on these resources are built far from the communities expected to live with the consequences.

Join us for an hour-long live virtual briefing and Q&A, Critical Mineral Futures from the Frontlines: Social License or Strategic Failure? The Community Sentiment Controlling the Energy Transition on the state of critical minerals from the eyes of the communities who host them.

Nearly every discussion on critical minerals is dominated by government, think-tank, or market-based institutions. When communities are brought up, they are usually framed as victims of exploitative labor and environmental practices, or passive stakeholders. Their analysis, their vision, and their expertise about the sector shaping their lives and landscapes is almost never sought.

So we went to Zambia and asked.

The Africa Climate x Nature Salon convened an in-person discussion salon in Zambia, bringing together more than 50 representatives from mining communities and representatives working across NGO's, community organizations, university student groups, and government.

This briefing provides original insights into how communities and citizens of resource-rich areas are thinking about critical minerals, with a specific focus on Zambia's cobalt and copper in the age of our world's accelerating reliance on such minerals due to the global energy transition and wide-spread AI advancement.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of:

Where current critical minerals narratives fall short and what communities actually think about the sector shaping their countries, livelihoods, and futuresWhat institutions miss when communities are treated as downstream stakeholders rather than strategic actorsHow durable partnerships between communities, citizens, and mining companies are built in practiceWhat this all means for long-term critical minerals strategies, geopolitics, and supply chain resilience

With the race for minerals accelerating, those making business, policy, diplomacy, or research decisions cannot afford to rely on top-down assumptions that keep frontline perspectives as a blind spot.

This session is designed for people shaping policy, research, and programs on critical minerals and supply chains, ESG and corporate sustainability, energy and climate, philanthropy, and international development. Those working in areas related to mining, social and environmental impact, stakeholder engagement, and African development will also find this briefing to be valuable.

This is a paid briefing to ensure meaningful participation. Need an invoice to register as an organization/team? Send a message and we’ll issue one. Proceeds support our work in making these forward-looking conversations accessible in Africa at no cost to attendees there.

The briefing will be facilitated by Kidan Araya, Founder of the Africa Climate x Nature Salon, who has briefed the U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Energy, and various international organizations on the energy transition, critical minerals, and community engagement in Africa and the U.S.

We will host the briefing on Zoom to promote accessibility, and all confirmed participants will receive a link to the virtual briefing 72 hours before the event. A recording will be made available to those who cannot attend live.

About Your Host: The Africa Climate x Nature Salon is a strategic convening platform and social venture that pressure-tests proposed solutions on confronting Africa's climate and nature challenges against real conditions, helping leaders and organizations strengthen how interventions are designed, funded, and implemented. Started in April 2025 at SF Climate Week, we’ve convened over 100+ cross-sector leaders at multiple in-person discussion salons around the world for rigorous, curated exchanges to address timely topics surrounding critical challenges to Africa’s climate and nature futures.

By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the organizers of SF Climate Week.