{"id":10301,"date":"2023-06-16T15:42:32","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T18:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fund.ar\/publicacion\/a-fair-and-sustainable-value-chain-of-lithium-batteries\/"},"modified":"2023-12-20T12:08:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T15:08:03","slug":"a-fair-and-sustainable-value-chain-of-lithium-batteries","status":"publish","type":"publicacion","link":"https:\/\/fund.ar\/en\/publicacion\/a-fair-and-sustainable-value-chain-of-lithium-batteries\/","title":{"rendered":"A fair and sustainable value chain of lithium batteries"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Lithium will play a fundamental role in the energy transition, but what is the production outlook? Is it possible to boost industry growth while minimizing the negative impacts on the environment and the communities living in the extraction areas? Experts and stakeholders agree on a number of questions. For example: lithium mining in salt flats creates sustainability concerns that must be mitigated and avoided through the implementation of the necessary measures, even at the cost of impacting \u2014or even disrupting\u2014 such activities. With the auspices of the Green Dealings network, we prepared jointly with CENIT this paper that presents the opinions of specialists on the challenges and horizons for fair and sustainable lithium mining in salt flats.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The promise of lithium<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The energy transition is a widely accepted solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing this issue worldwide. Lithium-ion batteries are a crucial technology in achieving this, since they play a key role in decarbonizing transportation, which accounts for roughly a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions. The growth of electromobility has driven increased demand for certain minerals, required to produce the batteries that store the energy used by electric vehicles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Argentina, Bolivia and Chile conform the so-called \u201clithium triangle\u201d, a region that concentrates 53% of the world’s lithium resources and around 80% of those found in salt brines. As demand for lithium increases, new economic opportunities emerge for these countries. However, there are risks of negative impacts on the environment and the populations living in the areas where lithium is being extracted, while opportunities to develop productive and technological capabilities remain unseized.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Resource-rich countries’ governments are tasked with regulating and monitoring the impact of mining and thus primarily responsible for guaranteeing compliance with sustainability conditions, along with operators. They are also responsible for implementing policies and strategies to use lithium as a leverage for socioeconomic, scientific, technological and productive development at national and regional levels.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Is there a fairer and more sustainable way to conduct lithium extraction activities in salt flats? What is the opinion of experts?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

To steer towards a more sustainable and equitable value chain for lithium-ion batteries, it is essential to understand the perspectives of the various stakeholders involved, explored by Green Dealings research project through a survey carried out in the second half of 2022. The survey gathered expert opinions on the main challenges affecting the sustainability of lithium mining in salt flats and how they could be addressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We invited more than 600 players in the global lithium battery supply chain from around the world, who participated anonymously, confidentially and in their individual capacity. Most of the experts were from Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, with a predominance of scholars, followed by industry, government, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. It was not possible to secure participation from any members of indigenous communities, which poses a limitation for the interpretation of the results, since these communities are among the most affected by the sustainability issues of lithium mining.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The survey was conducted using the Delphi method, which consists of assembling a panel of experts and inviting them to answer a questionnaire (Round 1). After analyzing the results, the findings are returned to the group of specialists, who are then asked to answer the questions again in an attempt to reach consensus among the responses obtained (Round 2).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This report presents a summary of the results of the second round of responses. It is organized into two segments: the challenge of sustainability, analyzed from three different angles (environmental, social and economic), and the question of a fair value chain for countries with lithium mining in salt flats, their territories and the communities that dwell in them.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Towards sustainable lithium production in salt flats<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Main challenges<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The findings of the survey show broad consensus that lithium mining in salt flats poses significant sustainability challenges. Seventy-seven percent of participants agreed that this problem should be addressed as a priority, even if it means slowing down or even suspending mining activity.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t