Emerging Narratives? Persistent Injustices? Long-term monitoring of EU Energy Transition Narratives on Resources for Renewables

Raw materials such as neodymium, lithium, and cobalt are essential components in the global effort to transition towards a low-carbon energy system, crucial for mitigating climate change. However, recent scholarship underscores the profound risks associated with these materials, particularly concerning their impact on livelihoods, human rights, and perpetuation of neo-colonial dependencies. Studies highlighting these injustices often draw upon empirical case studies from resource extraction sites in the Global South. Yet, the role of debates and discourses originating in the Global North in shaping and exacerbating these issues remains underexplored, forming the central focus of this research. This study builds upon EU policies pertaining to raw materials and renewables, aiming to trace the trajectory of debates surrounding raw materials for renewables over recent decades and scrutinize how dimensions of injustice are embedded within these discourses. To comprehensively capture the spectrum of EU policy developments, narratives are employed as a methodological approach. Narratives encapsulate specific rationales that shape what actions are deemed feasible and acceptable, project and enforce classifications, differentiate between relevant and irrelevant issues, and delineate who is considered involved or excluded, thus intricately linking them to questions of power dynamics and justice and show which conceptions of nature or human-nature relationships are underlying. In addressing these inquiries, this research integrates narrative analysis with insights from Just Transition research and feminist sustainability studies. This analytical approach unfolds in two stages: initially constructing narratives using elements from Hajer's Argumentative Discourse Analysis, and subsequently expanding the framework to encompass diverse dimensions of justice. The primary dataset comprises stakeholder documents on EU Raw Materials and Renewable Policies dating back to the early 2000s, providing a robust foundation for longitudinal analysis. Ultimately, this study aims to offer a nuanced, long-term perspective on narratives surrounding Raw Materials for Renewables, shedding light on the multidimensional aspects of (in)justice embedded within these narratives. By exploring how these narratives evolve and resonate within policy circles, this research contributes to broader discussions on equitable and sustainable energy transitions.