Europe is believed to hold vast but unexploited lithium reserves in Germany, Czechia, Serbia, Spain, Portugal, and Austria. However, efforts to tap into these resources have faced strong resistance from local communities and environmental groups.
Since July 2024, Serbians have staged protests against Rio Tinto’s lithium project in the Jadar Valley, a populated rural region in the country’s northwest. In Portugal’s Barroso region, opposition has been ongoing since May 2023, while in Spain’s UNESCO-listed city of Cáceres, resistance to lithium mining has persisted for over six years.
In a recent episode of Tech Talks, Euronews examined this divisive issue with two experts presenting contrasting views. Lindsey Wuisan, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, warns that lithium mining carries irreversible environmental and societal consequences. She highlighted concerns about water and energy consumption, chemical pollution, and threats to biodiversity, arguing that mining profits often benefit multinational companies rather than local communities.
Conversely, Peter Tom Jones, director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, maintains that while mining has negative impacts, these can be mitigated through responsible practices. He advocates for renewable energy in mining operations, dry-stacking waste materials, and local community involvement. Jones also stressed that lithium and other metals are crucial for Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral economy and that relying on imports shifts environmental burdens abroad.
The debate continues as Europe grapples with the balance between sustainability, local opposition, and the need for critical raw materials.
