Energy Transition and Mining in the Global South

Abstract

The worsening environmental, social and economic problems associated with the use of fossil fuels intensifies the urgency of transitioning to renewable energy sources, driving the adoption of technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles. Although often promoted as sustainable solutions, these technologies have intrinsic characteristics – such as lower energy density, reduced useful life and limitations in recycling processes – that increase dependence on minerals, many of which are classified as “critical.” This article seeks to contribute to the debate by analyzing the impacts of the significant increase in demand for these resources. Based on the International Renewable Energy Agency’s definition of critical minerals – which includes cobalt, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth metals – we carried out extensive data collection, systematization and analysis on a global scale, identifying the main producing countries and the socio-environmental contexts associated with their extraction. The results show the reproduction of a historical pattern: most of these minerals are extracted in countries of the Global South, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where environmental, social and economic regulations tend to be more flexible, favoring large transnational corporations. It was also found that the extraction of these minerals is often associated with serious socio-environmental impacts, such as intense pollution, exposure of workers to toxic metals and the financing of militias linked to authoritarian regimes. These issues, which are still little debated in the dominant discourse on the subject, require greater attention from the scientific community and society in order to promote a truly fair energy transition on a global scale.

Keywords: Critical Minerals; Extraction; Impacts; Problematics.