Transition or Transformation? Challenging the “Orderly Transition” of Green Mining Through the Experiences in Portugal and Ecuador from a Leverage Points Perspective
Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Global decarbonization agendas are increasingly grounded in forms of green extractivism, generating complex socio-environmental tensions across both the Global North and the Global South. This chapter examines, through a comparative analysis, how projects framed as part of the “green transition” reconfigure the socio-ecological systems of two case studies: the Barroso region in Portugal and the Río Blanco and Kimsacocha páramos in Ecuador, where state–corporate alliances promote so-called “orderly transitions” centered on lithium and other metal mining. While framed as indispensable to climate action, these projects reveal deep contradictions between decarbonization imperatives and territorial sustainability. The chapter situates these cases within broader debates on green extractivism, political ecology, and sustainability transformations. Conceptually, it draws on a social–ecological systems perspective and applies Donella Meadows’ the Leverage Points Framework to explore different levels of systemic intervention, including parameters, feedbacks, institutional design, and underlying intent. This methodological approach allows for a structured examination of how governance arrangements, economic narratives, and community experiences interact within emerging extractive contexts. It also engages with theoretical discussions on structural, systemic, and enabling approaches to transformation in order to situate the cases within ongoing scholarly debates about transition versus transformation. By placing two geographically and politically distinct contexts into dialogue, the chapter contributes to a cross-scalar understanding of how decarbonization strategies intersect with local socio-environmental realities. It contributes to ongoing debates on transition and transformation, highlighting how systemic depth shapes the political and ecological implications of green extractivism.
Source: Religación Press eBooks
Author: Ximena Alejandra Tapia Palacios
Institution: University of Lisbon
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7155545397