Historical socio-environmental assessment of resource development footprints using remote sensing

Kemp

Lechner³

et al. 2022

Nat Sustain

112

Rapidly transitioning the global energy system to renewables is considered necessary to combat climate change. Current estimates suggest that at least 30 energy transition minerals and metals (ETMs) form the material base for the energy transition. The inventory of ETMs indicates a high level of intersectionality with territories less impacted by the historic forces of industrialization. To identify the current global footprint, 5,097 ETM projects were geo-located against indicators for indigeneity, human modification of land, food production, water risk, conflict, as well as capacity measures for project permitting, consultation and consent. Study results differentiate ETMs to improve visibility over linkages between technology, resources and sustainability objectives. Our analysis reveals that more than half of the ETM resource base is located on or near the lands of Indigenous and peasant peoples, two groups whose rights to consultation and free prior informed consent are embedded in United Nations declarations.

Section: Resource Extraction Human Rights and Sustainable Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy transition minerals and their intersection with land-connected peoples

Kemp

Lechner³

et al. 2022

Nat Sustain

112

“…Second, historic spatial assessments could be developed to determine the long-term impacts of dam-induced displacement and resettlement (Lechner et al, 2019). These offer opportunities for further research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An applied framework for assessing the relative deprivation of dam‐affected communities

Zhang

Sustainable Development

Kemp

et al. 2021

Self Cite

Over the past half century, hydropower dams have displaced 40-80 million people around the world. In the development literature, the outcome of these shocks is represented in the form of "absolute deprivation." The policy norms surrounding development-induced displacement and resettlement, across all industries, prioritize compensation as the primary means through which to address any short-term deprivation caused by the shock of displacement. One dimension that has been overlooked is the force and effect of "relative deprivation (RD)." To demonstrate the merits of the RD approach, we develop a novel framework to assess the poverty conditions of affected communities across different resettlement schemes in Qinghai Province, China. A review of the case literature shows the scope and depth of deprivations experienced by those directly impacted by project-induced displacement.

“…Each successive change in ownership has resulted in a period of expedited growth and a heightened demand for land. The periodic developments have manifested in incremental patterns of population displacement that have progressively eroded ecosystem services and ultimately livelihoods. , At the La Granja project in Peru, exploration programs were undertaken by three separate companies, which led to three separate relocation exercises. Each effort at displacement directly followed a change in the ownership of the project .…”

Section: Common Forms Of Disruption In the Mine Life Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Global Scan of Disruptions to the Mine Life Cycle: Price, Ownership, and Local Impact

Lèbre

Stringer

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Self Cite

Criticality and supply risk models seek to address concerns of potential disruption to global metal supply. These models need to incorporate disruption events that arise from within the mining industry’s market structure. In this paper, we review what we refer to as events of “mine life cycle disruption”. These include project abandonments, premature closures, care and maintenance, and ownership changes. Life cycle disruptions not only cause production disruptions but also embed social and environmental risks in global metal markets. They arise from the highly variable business environment in which the resources sector operates. Changing commodity prices directly influence mining revenues and drive decisions on whether to halt or push forward a project. While some disruptions are involuntary and induced by external economic conditions, others are purposefully triggered by certain mining companies that use them to their advantage. We examine the frequency of these disruptions based on a contemporary global inventory of 35,000 mining projects and present the findings against recent developments in the research literature. We conclude that life cycle disruption events are an important consideration in balancing the demand for metals and the social and environmental impacts of mining and propose pathways for managing these events and their effects.