The global energy transition needs raw materials – but at whose expense?
Whether for electromobility, renewable energies or digital technologies: The demand for lithium and other so-called “critical” raw materials is increasing rapidly. These resources are often mined in the Global South – with far-reaching social and environmental consequences for local communities.
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a veritable lithium boom. The expansion of the mining sector has far-reaching consequences: Displacement, environmental degradation, human rights violations – these are just some of the challenges documented in a new study by KEESA in collaboration with the Center for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG). The research report (in German) “Green transition – at whose expense?” analyses the situation on the ground in Buhera, Bikita and Mberengwa and shows that the energy transition in the Global North is reproducing colonial structures.
What can you expect at the conference?
Activists from Zimbabwe will talk about the situation on the ground. Together with civil society representatives from Europe and Zimbabwe, we will discuss global responsibility, power relations and just alternatives in energy policy. The aim of the conference is to make critical perspectives visible and strengthen alliances of solidarity across borders.
Download the pamphlet to get more information including the agenda of the day.
Register now with this form:
(Please note that participation is only possible on site in Basel. The conference will not be broadcast online.)
Download the German research report here: Grüne Wende- auf wessen Kosten? Auswirkungen des Lithiumabbaus auf die lokale Bevölkerung in Simbabwe
KEESA ADR is on LinkedIn! Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keesa/
