This month’s COP28 climate conference raises the question of how to move away from fossil fuels and towards new ways of generating and storing energy. A new animation, MINERIA, looks at the implication of ‘energy transitions’ for countries targeted by mining projects.
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A Spanish version of the video is also available.
About Mineria
As climate change plans demand a retreat from gas, coal and oil, new markets are opening up for minerals used in batteries and renewables. One region affected is Latin America. For example, Chile is the world’s leading copper supplier, and 60% of the world’s lithium reserves are in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.
Mining extraction generates conflicts between groups who have very different views on the benefits or harms that mines can bring. For extractive companies, minerals generate profits, and for governments, they are a valuable potential source of revenues or jobs. However, for local communities and civil society, mines might present a threat to the biodiversity, land and water that they depend on for life and livelihoods.
These conflicts seem impossible to resolve. But could they lead to more productive transformation and alternative pathways? This would require a new kind of politics: one with democracy, transparency and diversity at its heart.
Mineria is written by Anabel Marin and directed by Leticia Schilman. It is made with the support of Future Natures.