Small-scale Mining Decarbonisation Paradox: Why ASM Formalisation is the Linchpin of a Just Transition

The global imperative to decarbonise has catalysed an unprecedented demand for "critical minerals," positioning the energy transition as a cornerstone of modern industrial policy.However, this transition is currently unfolding within a binary governance framework that privileges large-scale, corporate-led mining while systemically marginalising artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).Despite employing over 40 million people and underpinning local economies in the Global South, ASM is frequently pathologised as a high-risk sector, leading to exclusionary ESG strategies and "de-risking" reflexes that drive miners further into informality.This article interrogates the "Decarbonisation Paradox": the reality that securing "clean" minerals for the Global North often inadvertently "outsources" environmental degradation and social inequity to the Global South.By synthesising current research on livelihood displacement, "Development Minerals," and the gendered inequities of resource governance, I argue that the current trajectory of the Green Transition risks reinforcing a two-tiered global economy.Drawing on evidence from unstable political settlements and the failed "rituals of inclusion" in mineral policy, this research contends that formalisation is not merely a development objective but a strategic necessity for global supply chain integrity.True sustainability requires moving beyond punitive "crackdowns" toward state-led, inclusive formalisation that provides technical assistance for mercury-free processing and legal security for miners.This study concludes that the global energy transition will remain structurally and ethically flawed until ASM is integrated as a formal, legitimate frontline of the green economy.