From Brine to Brussels: Governing the Lithium Value Chain Between South-America and Europe
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2025-09-08
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en
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The western energy transition is leading to an immense rise in the global demand for lithium. However, lithium extraction raises great concerns about environmental degradation and social justice, especially for South-American Indigenous communities. Through the content analysis of an extensive set of governance instruments, this thesis analyses the extent to which EU and Dutch governance contribute to shaping a sustainable lithium value-chain between the EU and South-America.
The findings show the presence of a diverse set of governance instruments and actors, predominantly from state and civil-society dimensions, but highlight various key limitations. Instruments commonly give priority to economic goals, with sustainability disappearing under attention for trade, international competitiveness, and security of supply. Only a small number of instruments consider sustainability as a non-negotiable priority. Transformative governance is unevenly embedded: while many instruments show inclusive and integrative characteristics, they fall short on the ability to adapt over time, incorporate ‘other’ knowledge systems, and act with caution in new circumstances. Orchestration of sustainable governance is limited by low issue visibility, especially regarding the socio-ecological consequences of lithium extraction, which limits public pressure and weakens governance momentum. Moreover, regulatory uncertainty and fragmented priorities create conflicting incentives for sustainable private governance to emerge.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen