Latin America seeks to use lithium reserves

Latin America wants to use its lithium reserves to its advantage as the European Union scrambles to secure resources for its green transition

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Rather than just supplying raw materials like lithium, countries like Chile, Brazil, and Argentina aim to sell lithium-powered vehicles with added value. They seek greater control over their resources and supply chains and are partnering with the EU to achieve this goal. The EU sees the region as a crucial source of lithium for its green transition, and both sides aim to benefit from sustainable raw material partnerships. hand in hand with sustainable value creation in our partner countries, to the benefit of the local population and economy.
That will do little to assuage the concerns of NGOs, which have criticized the EU’s approach to partnerships with the region for lacking social and environmental safeguards.
The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, said Alejandro Gonzalez, a human rights lawyer with the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, will “reinforce the neocolonial economic framework, in which material-rich countries are forced to play the role of those bringing resources to Global North countries.”{/reg}