Description
The discovery of large reserves of lithium in Portugal’s north-east has placed the Iberian country at the centre of political discourses that connect green capitalism with neo-liberal environmentalism. As the demand of energetic transition from fossil to renewable sources, places lithium mining as indispensable on the manufacturing electrical vehicle components, foreign investments to develop and to increase mining activity closer to protect natural areas have been announced. This scenario, this paper argues, enables Portugal to be placed at the centre of key discussions and dilemmas concerning environmental security, and climate change. As a country which traditionally is not a key actor on global security issues, arguably, Portugal may be posed to play a larger role. However, already at the centre of protests by local populations, the mining project is likely to project state-centric discourses whilst critical ones may be subdued. By examining existing discourses of different involved parties, this paper aims to contribute to critical discussions in environmental security, by centring key aspects of anthropocentric planetary living. The paper also aims to contribute the larger literature that examines the politics of energy transition and its challenges in the context of climate emergency.
