Transición energética y litio: nuevos “comunes” y otros extractivismos
- Digno José Montalván Zambrano
- Isabel Wences
ISSN: 2079-5971
Year of publication: 2024
Issue Title: Derechos emergentes y bienes comunes en el Sur global
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
Pages: 416-446
Type: Article
More publications in: Oñati socio-legal series
Abstract
This paper presents the new forms of extractivism associated with the energy transition discourse formulated by the Global North. Specifically, it studies how the growing demand for lithium is generating various "local impacts" and "spillover effects" in Latin America, especially on indigenous peoples. In line with the above, we problematize the use of narratives that seek to enshrine the elements necessary for the production, distribution and storage of renewable energy as global commons or critical raw materials. We postulate, in line with several studies in the matter, that behind these apparently counter-hegemonic terms, corporate interests may be hidden, typical of green capitalism, aimed at deterritorializing conflicts and guaranteeing the supply of what, from the Global North, are called critical raw materials for the renewable technologies industry.