The European Union Facing an Uncertain Scenario
Within the programming of
Metals in the Digital and Energy Transition
The Achilles’ heel of the digital and energy transition is its total dependence on rare metals. In this first session, the debate will focus on the geopolitical repercussions of this need and what it means for the European Union.
| Duration: | 1 hour 30 minutes |
The climate crisis has made it both imperative and urgent to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, but we mustn’t overlook on vital issue: the “green” and digital technologies that will make it possible require non-renewable materials and far more metals than fossil fuels, metals that are finite and, in many cases, scarce.
The distribution and scarcity of rare metals is altering the global geopolitical order and will undoubtedly have consequences for the European Union. In the 21st century, China is the leading exporter and consumer of these resources, and it also has the monopoly on a group of metals known as rare earths.
The West depends on China, not only to supply raw materials, but also to meet its needs derived from green and digital technologies.
In this context, is it possible to guarantee a sufficient, clean supply of the metals that the energy and digital transition requires? How does the European Union plan to achieve strategic autonomy? What are the keys to facing the future with optimism?
Speakers:
- Henrike Hahn, member of the European Parliament, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), and the delegations for relations with China and the United States. She previously worked as a strategy consultant for technology companies in Paris and Munich. She believes in the ecologisation of industry and the socio-ecological transformation of the economy.
- Guillaume Pitron, investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker. He has authored approximately one hundred reports, investigations and documentaries in over 40 different countries. In 2018 he published a book titled The Rare Metals War: The Dark Side of Clean Energy and Digital Technologies.
- Richard Wouters, researcher with the Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks, the think tank of the Dutch Greens. He leads the Metals for a Green and Digital Europe project for the Green European Foundation.
Moderated by Carol García Toledano, trustee of Transición Verde, journalist, political scientist and communication coordinator at Alianza por la Solidaridad-ActionAid.
Organised by Green European Foundation (GEF), in partnership with Fundación Transición Verde and La Casa Encendida.
The event will be held in a Zoom room. Once you have registered, and before each session, you will receive a confirmation email with the login details for the event.
Simultaneous Spanish-English translation will be available for this session.
To participate, register for the event by clicking on Tickets
