Governing the dark side of renewable energy: A typology of global displacements

Renewable energy (RE) is critical for curbing global greenhouse gas emissions to achieve 2 to 4 degrees of global warming by 2100. While this is an imperative technical response to the climate crisis, the shift to renewables is also driving a surge in demand for metals and minerals used in RE. Calls are being made for smarter and more responsible forms of mining, but questions remain about the socio-economic and environmental impacts of extraction, processing, application, and disposal at multiple scales. The literature has been limited to the technical and cost-benefit dimensions of managing RE global supply chains. This article seeks to expand this focus by developing a typology of displacement that may be used to understand the socio-economic and environmental effects of onshore wind, solar photovoltaics (PV), and lithium-ion batteries. It encourages a critical analysis of how the global surge in demand for renewable energy is affecting development pathways and displacement patterns.

Automated summary

Renewable energy is crucial for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, but it has also led to a surge in demand for metals and minerals. There are ongoing debates about responsible mining practices and the socio-economic and environmental impacts of extraction, highlighting the need for a broader focus on these issues.