Minerales para la transición energética en Chile

The report examines the governance of copper and lithium in Chile, highlighting a significant gap between international sustainability principles and territorial realities. Through case studies in Tarapacá and Antofagasta, it identifies critical failures in indigenous participation, water management, and the equitable distribution of mining royalties. While the 2023 National Lithium Strategy is noted as a step toward state control and sustainability, the document argues that a just transition requires binding community participation, transparent fiscal management, and regional economic diversification to avoid reproducing historical extractivist inequalities.

• Chile holds a dominant global position in critical minerals, producing 5.3 million tonnes of copper in 2024 (representing approximately 28% of global reserves) and nearly 49,000 tonnes of lithium in 2024 (representing around 31% of world reserves).
• There is a historical deficit in indigenous participation in mining decisions, characterized by an institutional vacuum of approximately 25 years where projects advanced without effective community influence mechanisms.
• Water governance in mining areas is marked by extreme scarcity and asymmetry, specifically in the Pampa del Tamarugal aquifer where legal extractions of 4,000 liters per second far exceed the estimated natural recharge of 1,000 liters per second.
• The distribution of mining royalties is perceived as highly centralized and inefficient; as of 2024, municipalities in Iquique, Pica, and Camiña had not reported information on budget modifications or the execution of Royalty resources.
• The 2023 National Lithium Strategy (ENL) represents a shift toward public-private alliances with state control and sustainability criteria, including the creation of the Protected Salt Flats Network covering 27 ecosystems.
• Mining activities have caused cumulative social impacts in territories like Pica, including social fragmentation, the weakening of traditional economies, and gender inequalities that limit women's access to high-quality employment.

APA

Ramos, Y. P., Bermudez, J. F., Busconi, A., Patiño, D. C. B., Mogollón, A. M., Marengo, M., Peña, J., Tapia, P. Z., Rojas, M. A., & Patzy, F. (2026). Minerales para la transición energética en Chile. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/260407-MineralesChile.pdf

Chicago

Ramos, Yessica Prieto, Juliette F. Bermudez, Antonela Busconi, Diana Carolina Barba Patiño, Ana María Mogollón, Melissa Marengo, Juliana Peña, et al. Minerales para la transición energética en Chile. Transforma, 2026. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/260407-MineralesChile.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ramos |first1=Yessica Prieto |last2=Bermudez |first2=Juliette F. |last3=Busconi |first3=Antonela |last4=Patiño |first4=Diana Carolina Barba |last5=Mogollón |first5=Ana María |last6=Marengo |first6=Melissa |last7=Peña |first7=Juliana |last8=Tapia |first8=Pedro Zapata |last9=Rojas |first9=María Angélica |display-authors=etal |title=Minerales para la transición energética en Chile |publisher=Transforma |date=March 2026 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/260407-MineralesChile.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ramos2026minerales, author = {Ramos, Yessica Prieto and Bermudez, Juliette F. and Busconi, Antonela and Patiño, Diana Carolina Barba and Mogollón, Ana María and Marengo, Melissa and Peña, Juliana and Tapia, Pedro Zapata and Rojas, María Angélica and Patzy, Fernando}, title = {{Minerales para la transición energética en Chile}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/260407-MineralesChile.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }