Lithium mining risks turning green transition into environmental paradox 

As global demand for lithium skyrockets to fuel electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy, Chile’s Atacama Desert, home to vast lithium reserves, is facing serious ecological strain. Lithium mining, which involves pumping brine water beneath salt flats, is drying wetlands, harming native flora and fauna and depleting groundwater. Indigenous communities, including  those in Peine, report shrinking lagoons, reduced flamingo populations and deteriorating pasturelands. While companies such as SQM claim to be trialling less water-intensive methods, locals remain sceptical. Many argue they are unfairly burdened by green tech’s environmental costs, especially when the benefits of electrification largely serve wealthier nations. (BBC) 

Why does this matter? Many mining companies justify their operations by asserting their contribution to the green transition. Lithium is critical for EV batteries and renewable energy storage. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand for lithium will increase by nearly 90% over the next two decades to meet its Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS). However, as highlighted in the BBC report, the environmental degradation already visible in the Atacama Desert under current extraction levels underscores the urgent need for more sustainable mineral extraction practices. 

Chile has leveraged its lithium-rich salt flats as a strategic economic asset. The National Lithium Strategy aims to bolster economic development while supporting the global shift toward a green economy, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Nevertheless, the situation in the Salar de Atacama reveals a critical tension –  achieving a low-carbon future must not come at the expense of local ecosystems or communities.  

As early as 2013, one-third of native “algarrobo” (carob) trees were reported dead due to mining-related impacts. Despite this, current extraction methods remain largely unchanged. This illustrates the pressing need for stricter regulation and deeper recognition of the interconnected environmental and social consequences of mineral extraction. Although lithium mining emits significantly less CO2 than fossil fuel extraction, its water consumption and contamination risks remain serious environmental concerns. Local groups, such as the Council of Atacameños Peoples (CPA), have protested agreements between SQM and CODELCO mining companies on the land they live in, citing the visible ecological damage and lack of community benefit from extraction activities. 

Companies  such as Rio Tinto, which position themselves as leaders in sustainable mining, must direct investment and research towards genuinely sustainable extraction methods. Currently dominant techniques, including  hard rock mining and solar evaporation from brine, are environmentally intensive. For example, evaporation ponds used in solar brine extraction consume nearly 500,000 gallons of water per mt of lithium, depleting scarce water resources in arid regions like the Atacama, while being inefficient, recovering only 20%-40% of lithium available over a process that can take up to three years. 

Emerging technologies offer viable alternatives. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) and geothermal brine extraction require significantly less water and energy and allow for more efficient and timely recovery. These next-generation methods could drastically reduce the ecological footprint of lithium mining, but rapid adoption is essential to prevent irreversible environmental harm in the name of sustainability. The Climate Adaption Platform supports the use of emerging technologies but also emphasises the need to start developing batteries that are not dependent on lithium or cobalt such as sodium ion batteries, where extraction of sodium uses 286 times less water than lithium. 

The world cannot afford a green transition that replicates the injustices of the past. To avoid a paradox where climate solutions accelerate environmental degradation, policymakers, companies and civil society must place equity, sustainability and community voices at the heart of mineral sourcing.