| dc.description.abstract | The transition towards a ‘green economy’ led to increasing demand in raw materials like lithium. Lithium is known as ‘the white gold of the twenty-first century’ because it is an essential element in the batteries that power electric cars. Most of the world’s lithium reserves are found in the ‘lithium triangle’ at the border between Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. Latin American countries are increasingly choosing a development path based on ‘neo-extractivism’, where states actively attract foreign direct investment in mining and justify these investments by distributing revenues to social and economic development programs. New resource frontiers are created in the areas where lithium is found and this affected the access, control and use of natural resources and triggered socio-ecological conflicts. While a lot is written on the ‘green economy’, issues of power and justice are often neglected in this debate.
Multinational corporations became important actors in the extraction of natural resources. As a result, companies are increasingly involved in claims of justice and fairness. Due to pressure from civil society organizations, mining companies created Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies to be socially and economically responsible to those who are affected by their operations. Previous research identified a gap between CSR practices of companies on the one hand and justice and accountability on the other hand. Critical scholars argue that in current policies there is a lack of ‘downward accountability’. The social and environmental impact of a company is assessed against general indicators that are based on technical assessments such as Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). These assessments often do not represent how the effects of mining are experienced and lack legitimacy in the eyes of those affected by it. In order to achieve downward accountability, the perspectives, concerns and strategies of those directly affected by mining operations should be on the forefront of the debate. This leads to the main question of this thesis: How can local communities advance bottom-up strategies to achieve downward accountability?
The main question is answered based on field research in the province of Jujuy, Argentina, one of the three provinces in the country where lithium is found and where mining activity triggered socio-ecological conflicts. Current practices to achieve corporate accountability in the context of lithium extraction in Jujuy are analyzed from a perspective of environmental justice, based on three dimensions; distributive, procedural and recognition. The case study shows that most of the residents who oppose mining operations do not oppose mining entirely. The problem is a lack of inclusion and a lack of recognition, which results in distrust and resistance. Local communities developed bottom-up strategies to achieve downward accountability, which have been partially v
successful. The provincial government and civil society organizations can play an important role to advance bottom-up strategies of local communities.
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