The Faculty of Law of the Universidad Austral It hosted the webinar “Energy Transition: Geopolitics, Environmental Litigation and Critical Minerals. Global Trends and Local Challenges which analyzed, among other issues, the opportunities that are opening up for the country and the region, as well as the litigation related to climate change, which has been multiplying in various parts of the planet.
The presentation of the meeting, which was attended by European and Latin American experts, was given by Mr. Francisco Romano, director of the Diploma in Hydrocarbons Law of the Universidad Austral (UA).
The webinar, held on Wednesday, June 25, analyzed the global progress of the energy transition, understood as the shift from the current energy system, based on fossil fuels, to a more sustainable and renewable one, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power. This globally driven change aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.
On behalf of the UA, the professors presented Sofia del Carril, director of the Master's Program in International Relations, and Manuel AldereteProfessor of Administrative Law at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Austral and other universities.
Also participating from the United Kingdom was the Spanish professor Ernesto Bonafé, 'Senior Lecturer' at the 'Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP)' at the University of Dundee, Scotland.
“According to a global survey, the global risks that will arise in the next 10 years are related to the environment and extreme weather events, the collapse of ecosystems and critical changes to Earth systems, the scarcity of natural resources and misinformation,” Del Carril stated at the beginning of his presentation.
These interconnected risks "are related to social issues, such as voluntary migration, the economy, etc." and, within this framework, "there is a real awareness that the energy transition has an undeniable importance."
The specialist also spoke about the “reconfiguration and relocation of trade, value, and supply chains” and how geopolitics impacts these changes. “Geopolitics is making a comeback, and the effect is related to uncertainty, something that impacts energy transitions,” she noted.
In this context, he emphasized that an opportunity has arisen for Argentina, in a landscape that “is not without challenges.” Among these, he mentioned legal certainty, key regulatory frameworks for any investment, environmental concerns, a productive model that supports development, and infrastructure, since without it, many of these opportunities will not be realized.
For his part, Alderete mentioned that Argentina is at the “center of the global stage” because it possesses reserves of critical minerals, fundamental for the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy. It is a market that is “tiny” compared to the oil and gas market, but of similar strategic importance.
“The world’s major industries and services demand critical minerals today, and this will grow exponentially in the coming years. Today, with clean energy technologies, we need more minerals than ever before,” the professor added.
Alderete pointed out that the main problem in the critical minerals market is its high degree of concentration in a few countries. The only solution is to work to diversify the market, which presents an opportunity for Argentina, a country that has already become a significant player in lithium production and could do the same with copper.
“The global landscape greatly favors Latin America and Argentina in particular, which has much to offer and we must capitalize on it,” he remarked.
Finally, the Spanish He spoke about climate litigation related to the energy transition, from the perspective of science, politics, economics, justice and law.
“Rulings from international bodies are beginning to emerge that recognize the obligation of states to take action in the fight against climate change,” he explained.
Among several examples, she spoke of a Strasbourg court that attributed responsibility to Switzerland in a lawsuit brought by older women who consider themselves more affected by climate change.
“From 2017 to 2022, climate-related litigation cases increased, and some 65 countries now have this type of litigation. Nine percent of these cases are in Latin America,” he explained.
“Progress in negotiations between countries is slow or nonexistent, according to NGOs. So, they've decided to pursue legal action to compel states and companies to take action. There's a lot of enthusiasm within the legal system,” he concluded.
