Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism – book talk by Thea Riofrancos, followed by a discussion by Christine Schwöbel-Patel

Will green capitalism save us from the climate crisis? ‘Clean’ technologies and renewable energy are certainly growing sites of capitalist investment, with government policies playing a key role in making these sectors profitable. But the supply chains that produce the technologies pose vexing dilemmas for the energy transition. These dilemmas are most dramatic at the extractive frontiers of green capitalism: where the natural resources needed to manufacture electric vehicles and build windmills are extracted. In this talk, we will unpack these challenges through the lens of lithium, a so-called ‘critical mineral’ essential for its role in decarbonising one of the most polluting sectors: transportation. With forecasters predicting an enormous surge in lithium demand, exceeding existing supplies, Global North governments and downstream firms scramble to ‘secure’ lithium, resulting in a new state-corporate alliance and the return of vertical integration. Meanwhile, Global South governments are attempting to leverage critical mineral deposits into sustainable and sovereign economic development. And, across the world, environmental and Indigenous movements contest the rapid expansion of extraction, defending ecosystems, livelihoods, and waterways already under pressure from global warming from a new boom in mining. It is in the play of these forces, unfolding amidst geopolitical rivalry and economic turbulence, that the energy transition will be forged. To conclude, we will explore the possibility of a less mining-intensive pathway to zero carbon transportation.

Christine Schwöbel-Patel is Professor at Warwick Law School and Co-Director of its Centre for Critical Legal Studies. She is the author of, among others, Marketing Global Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and co-editor of Aesthetics and Counter-Aesthetics of International Justice (Counterpress, 2023). Her forthcoming book Green Frontiers: The Laws of Extraction in the Green Transition is under contract with Verso.

Chair: Marie Petersmann (Assistant Professor of Law, LSE Law School & GSoS).

A drinks reception will follow the event. The author will sign books for those interested in purchasing a copy, which will be available at the event.

Please note, although this event is ticketed, seats will operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.