The dissent of decarbonization: Sociotechnical controversies in lithium extraction in the Vale do Jequitinhonha, Brazil

Abstract

This article describes and analyzes the sociotechnical controversies surrounding lithium exploration in the Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, Brazil, situating them within the context of the global energy transition and the so-called “decarbonization consensus.” The research adopts Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and controversy mapping as a theoretical-methodological approach, making it possible to map the actors, arguments, and disputes that shape the sociotechnical arrangement of lithium mining in the region. The empirical corpus consisted of diverse documents collected through web scraping and monitoring of public debates. The results reveal the conflictual coexistence of antagonistic narratives: on the one hand, lithium as a driver of development, supported by state and corporate discourses that mobilize the idea of overcoming poverty; on the other, mining as a producer of socio-environmental conflicts, denounced by communities, social movements, and researchers. Over time, initial warnings about risks become concrete impacts, broadening the controversy and mobilizing new arenas, such as public hearings, complaints, and legal actions. We conclude that the exploration of minerals demanded by the energy transition, far from being consensual, is traversed by disputes that reveal the production of new sacrifice zones, highlighting the need for more just, participatory, and territorially situated models. By shifting the focus from the “lithium triangle” to the Vale do Jequitinhonha, the article examines a mining frontier that remains little investigated through the lens of controversy mapping.