Environmental justice in the era of green extractivism. How governance of lithium shapes environmental justice in Chile’s Salar de Atacama

Abstract

The global transition to low-carbon energy systems has driven unprecedented demand for critical minerals, positioning lithium as essential to decarbonisation while intensifying concerns over the environmental and social impacts of extraction. This dissertation examines how environmental justice is shaped by the governance of lithium extraction through a case study of Chile's Salar de Atacama. Using a qualitative case study methodology, the research analyses the evolution of Chile's lithium governance and evaluates the role of domestic and international legal frameworks through the environmental justice dimensions of distributional, procedural and recognitional justice. The analysis draws upon legal and policy documents, academic literature, government publications, corporate reports and secondary empirical evidence. The findings demonstrate that Chile has strengthened governance through increased state involvement, enhanced environmental regulation and greater recognition of Indigenous participation. These reforms have improved aspects of environmental justice but have not eliminated persistent inequalities. Environmental burdens remain concentrated among Indigenous communities, participation largely operates through consultation rather than shared decision-making, and Indigenous knowledge systems continue to receive only partial recognition within governance processes. The dissertation argues that these limitations arise not only from weaknesses in legal implementation but also from the broader political economy of the green transition, in which governance primarily manages the impacts of extraction rather than determining whether extraction is compatible with environmental justice. It concludes that while governance reforms can improve environmental justice outcomes, they remain structurally constrained in their ability to reconcile an expanding extractive economy with the principles of environmental justice.