Balancing Energy Transition with Environmental Protection: Lithium Mining’s Impact on Andean Wetlands Under Scrutiny
During the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference, global attention turned to the environmental consequences of the “race toward an energy transition”. Two key side events organized by Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) highlighted concerns surrounding lithium mining in Andean Wetlands, a region rich in lithium reserves crucial for renewable energy technologies.
### Protecting Andean Wetlands: Navigating Environmental Risks
One event focused specifically on safeguarding Andean Wetlands, exploring the potential negative impacts of lithium mining on this sensitive ecosystem. The “Lithium Triangle,” encompassing Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia, holds significant lithium reserves. While lithium plays a critical role in powering renewable energy sources, panelists emphasized the need to carefully consider environmental consequences, particularly for vulnerable Indigenous communities residing in and protecting these wetlands.
“Extractive industries can often result in systematic violations of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, especially when safeguards such as Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) are not respected,” stated Marcos Orellana, Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, during the event.
The event underscored the importance of ensuring that the energy transition does not come at the expense of biodiversity and indigenous rights. Representatives from the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called for open dialogues and robust implementation of FPIC principles in lithium mining projects.
Organised by Alianza por los Humedales Andinos/Andean Wetlands Alliance, this crucial discussion served as a platform for raising awareness about the interconnectedness of biodiversity, indigenous rights, and sustainable energy practices.
### The Sustainable Ocean Initiative: A Global Call for Collaboration on Ocean Conservation
Another ENB- hosted event, the SOI Global Dialogue, focused on strengthening cooperation between regional bodies to achieve global biodiversity and ocean conservation goals. With representatives from various regions – Mediterranean, Bay of Bengal, and North-East Atlantic – sharing their insights, the Dialogue highlighted potential synergies between international agreements and regional initiatives.
A representative from FAO emphasized the critical role the SOI Dialogue plays in ensuring that fisheries and aquaculture, often overlooked in environmental discussions, are integrated within broader biodiversity conservation efforts.
Representatives from the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) underscored the potential of SOI Global Dialogue to contribute to vital discussions under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, particularly concerning area-based management tools in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Organised by a collaborative effort between the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition, and France’s Office of Biodiversity, the SOI Global Dialogue served as a crucial platform for strengthening global cooperation on ocean conservation.