Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Paving the Way for a Just Transition and Community Empowerment

By Marcia Moreno-Báez

When invited to write a blog to celebrate "The Hispanic Heritage," I found myself contemplating how to express my feelings about celebrating Hispanic culture, its traditions, and its invaluable natural and human resources. I ultimately decided to take this opportunity to address the future of our communities in Mexico and Latin America within the context of the current challenges of green energy, sustainability, and climate change, coinciding with the celebration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) summit in New York City. We find ourselves facing a landscape filled with new challenges, including poverty reduction, the resilience of our communities, and, most importantly, a commitment to a just transition. The quest for equity and the reduction of adverse impacts linked to the extraction of vital resources are integral components of our transition toward clean energy.

Clean energies play a crucial role in the fight against climate change (Sustainable Development Goal 13 - Climate Action) because they are essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the shift to renewable energy sources involves producing technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and more, which rely on extracting minerals and metals like lithium, cobalt, copper, and other rare earth elements (REEs). Mining operations required to access these minerals and metals often result in habitat destruction, disposal of mining waste, soil erosion, pollution, and significant land-use changes.

This topic holds personal significance for me, as I come from a family with deep roots in the mining industry. My maternal grandfather, along with several uncles, and currently, my cousins, have been actively involved in this sector, representing a deeply ingrained family legacy. Similarly, this legacy is shared by numerous Latin Americans.

One of the main issues arising from mining relates to environmental equity and justice and the unequal distribution of impacts on communities with economic benefits often favoring large corporations. This can lead to social conflicts over land use and resource availability that further exacerbate the inequities. Consequently, one of the obstacles encountered when seeking legal remedies and justice for health, environmental, or social harm is the lack of resources to support such processes.

Figure 1. Pablo Baez (my grandfather) and other miners at the Cananea Consolidated Cupper Company; circa 1950s.

Mining in Latin America: A Look at its Impact on Climate, Economy, and Society

Latin America (including the Caribbean) plays a crucial role in the supply of key minerals for decarbonization, thanks to its abundant and diverse reserves of high-quality minerals. This includes minerals such as copper, lithium, zinc, nickel, iron, manganese, gold, silver, and other REEs. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), approximately 4% of the world’s total energy consumption can be attributed to the mining sector. This substantial energy demand underscores the significance of decisions related to energy generation. Over the past decade, numerous renewable energy projects for mining have been launched, exemplified by initiatives in countries like Sweden and the United States. This trend is projected to continue, leading to a nearly threefold increase in global capacity by 2027 (IEA). This growth is driven by decreasing renewable energy costs and an escalating focus on decarbonization.

As global mining capacity continues to expand, we are at a pivotal moment where adopting comprehensive measures is vital to mitigate its environmental impact. This includes incorporating best practices in renewable energy initiatives and considering various other factors such as corporate social responsibility, adherence to standardized certifications, rigorous environmental impact assessments, technological advancements, and fostering enhanced community engagement and decision-making processes in mining-related activities. Despite ongoing innovations and efforts within the mining industry to address environmental challenges, there are regions where regulations and enforcement are less stringent, allowing these measures to remain optional.

Mining in Mexico: Lessons from the Past

There are various examples illustrating the lessons learned from the mining industry in Latin America. I will center my focus on the Cananea mine in Sonora, Mexico, where my roots lie, and which remains operational today.

When I look at old photographs of the Cananea mine and the city itself, I ponder the impact of this industry on the town. A century ago, mines typically had a lifespan of around a hundred years, and companies invested in local schools and other community infrastructure. However, nowadays, Cananea grapples with a complex situation deeply entrenched in its history. Regional conflicts trace back to 1899 when copper mining commenced under The Cananea Consolidated Copper Company. In 1906, more than 2,000 Mexican miners initiated a historic strike against the American owners of the company, a pivotal moment considered the genesis of the Mexican Revolution.

In today's mining industry, mines typically have a lifespan of 10 to 30 years (with some lasting up to 70 years) due to increased automation and advanced technology in mining operations. As a result, specialized workers come and go from the community as mining operations conclude, leading to a decline in local job opportunities. This situation was notably visible in Cananea when Grupo México acquired the Buenavista del Cobre mine from the Mexican government in 1985. In 2007, a labor strike occurred as workers demanded improved working conditions, safety measures, and raised concerns about environmental issues related to mining activities. This strike also sparked disagreements with the workers' union. In 2009, the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board ended the union's labor relationship, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court of Justice. Grupo México then outsourced non-local personnel, causing local job losses and damaging the community's social fabric with dire consequences.

Exploring Opportunities for a Just Transition: Renewable Energy in Latin American Mining

Mexico holds the ninth-largest identified lithium resource in the world, with approximately 1.7 million tons. An important development related to these available resources is the “Sonora Lithium Project,” announced in 2021 as a result of lithium nationalization in Mexico. This project gave rise to the national company LitoMx, responsible for managing lithium exploration, exploitation, and refining in the country. LitoMx also oversees the associated economic value chains related to this mineral.

How can we ensure that mining projects aimed at promoting renewable energy production also incorporate participatory processes that support a “just transition”? To achieve this, it's important to define justice. While some definitions advocate for justice as equity (e.g., John Rawls), where social and political institutions should distribute resources and benefits fairly; another form of justice is the adherence to laws, meaning that individuals should be treated in accordance with the law. These various definitions converge on the concept of balance, where rights and responsibilities, as well as costs and benefits, seek to ensure equal opportunities and fair treatment for all members of society. In the context of mining for renewable energy, justice can be defined as finding equilibrium that promotes fairness and equity, social cohesion, economic stability, environmental sustainability, long-term viability and political acceptance.

To facilitate the effective integration of equity and environmental justice elements in the mining industry, various strategies can be applied. For example, it is essential to identify key stakeholders and conduct a comprehensive analysis of economic and livelihood activities considering social, cultural, and environmental aspects. It is equally important to promote public participation and consultations, allowing local communities and other stakeholders to voice their concerns and expectations. Developing clear plans in collaboration with stakeholders that include goals and indicators to strike a balance between benefits and negative impacts, mitigate pollution, and contribute to the local government's revenue can be of benefit for all parties involved. Establishing a rigorous monitoring system to ensure compliance with regulations and effective conflict management should be implemented to promote transparency. Equally as important, building local capacity through education and training opportunities can boost the creation of local jobs and foster cooperation to share best practices.

The success of these projects in Latin America will largely depend on the willingness of both governments and state-owned enterprises to find a balance between rights and obligations, costs and benefits, as well as positive and negative impacts. The vision for a sustainable transition is to include policies, strategies, and a planning process where all stakeholders provide input and protect human rights for a just transition. If the new LitioMx mine disappears in 30 years, we want to continue seeing a sustainable community with vibrant and healthy landscapes. I believe that in Latin America, we not only have the capacity to achieve this but also the opportunity to actively engage in the transition that is necessary for all of us to contribute to the collective effort of implementing the SDGs and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.