Progress in critical minerals policy and the expansion of renewable energy projects highlight warnings about environmental racism and the need for a socially just and democratic energy transition in Brazil.
The acceleration of the global energy transition agenda, while essential for addressing the climate crisis, has raised profound questions about who truly bears the costs of this process.
According to researcher Elisângela Paim, the current development model, focused on critical minerals and large-scale projects, risks deepening historical inequalities and perpetuating environmental racism if not conducted with the proper participation of affected communities.
The topic is highlighted in the fourth volume of the collection Politizando o Clima: poder, territórios e resistências (Politicizing Climate: power, territories, and resistances), an initiative that brings together researchers from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and academic institutions.
The central debate is that the impacts of climate change — such as extreme rainfall and severe weather events — do not affect society equally, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, and Quilombola populations, who already face structural vulnerabilities.
The Dilemma of an Exclusionary Energy Transition
One of the most critical points raised by the specialist refers to the implementation of “green energy” solutions, such as green hydrogen and rare earth exploitation. The researcher argues that, without careful consideration of territorial rights, these initiatives could repeat patterns of colonial exploitation, trading the fossil fuel matrix for forms of extraction that ignore local populations.
One of the emerging consensuses is that it’s not enough to discuss carbon emissions or new technologies. It is necessary to investigate who pays the costs of the transition, who benefits from climate policies, and which social groups participate in the decisions.
Climate Justice and Social Agency
The discussion highlights that sustainability should not be measured solely by emission reduction indices, but by the democratization of decisions regarding common goods. According to the researcher, the concept of “green capitalism” may merely serve as new packaging for old practices of territorial domination if there is no real change in the governance of these projects.
A truly just transition requires confronting historical inequalities, democratizing decisions about energy and common goods, and ensuring that the groups most affected by the climate crisis play a leading role in constructing solutions.
The debate on climate justice thus becomes inseparable from the struggle for territorial protection.
The transition to a low-carbon economy requires public policies to integrate gender and race perspectives, recognizing that the solution to the environmental crisis directly depends on overcoming social structures that have historically marginalized traditional and peripheral communities.
The full details of this analysis are available on the website of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, serving as a basis for future discussions about Brazil’s role in the new global energy order.
