A new report from ResponsibleSteel and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance warns that the rush to decarbonize mining and steel could increase global inequality. While companies focus on the technical shift to hydrogen-based steelmaking and renewable energy, they often overlook the social impact on workers and local communities. The report highlights the risk of green colonialism in resource-rich developing nations, where critical minerals are extracted for the global energy transition without providing local economic benefits. It emphasizes that workforce reskilling remains a major weakness, as new green jobs may not appear in the same regions where traditional industrial jobs are lost.
