CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Vidovic, Olja |
|---|---|
| Title | The Lithium Paradox: Mining for Low-Carbon Future; A Case Study of Lithium in Serbia |
| Summary | The Green Economy is widely seen as a new promising concept, which should combine economy, sustainability, and environment. However, the transition to clean energy will require mining four times more minerals worldwide than we mine today. In the case of the transport industry, one of the main minerals needed for transition is lithium, known as the 'white gold' of this century. Serbia lies on one percent of the world reserves of this gold, discovered by Rio Tinto, which is rushing to bear its fruits. However, the mineral so needed for decarbonization, paradoxically, has to be mined, potentially leaving devastating consequences on the local environment. And Serbian lithium lies below one of the country's most fertile lands, requiring relocation of local population and elimination of their primary source of income, agriculture production. The proposed project has sparked the largest environmental conflict in the country's history, following which the government, which previously supported the project, abolished all the permits for Rio Tinto, at least for now. This thesis researches the potential environmental, social, and economic effects of the proposed lithium project in the Jadar Valley and the motivation behind the ecological uprising in the country, comparing it to similar conflicts worldwide. Based on the case study of lithium in Serbia, the main conclusion is that a green economy cannot be 'low carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive’, as defined by the United Nations, and that it would create certain sacrifice zones, including the potential one in the Jadar Valley, Serbia. |
| Supervisor | Anke Schaffartzik |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/vidovic_olja.pdf |
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