Short answer

When designing for the energy transition, prioritize materials and processes that minimize environmental harm and social disruption at the extraction stage, and advocate for supply chain transparency.

Field: Resource Management
Source: Sustainability (2026)
Method: Guided literature synthesis combining energy justice, political ecology, decolonial critiques, and green extractivism.
Evidence: Strong effect

The pursuit of low-carbon energy systems relies heavily on critical minerals, the extraction of which can lead to significant socio-environmental degradation and perpetuate existing inequalities, creating new 'sacrifice zones'. This resource management research insight is drawn from a 2026 study published in Sustainability. Using Guided literature synthesis combining energy justice, political ecology, decolonial critiques, and green extractivism., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for the energy transition, prioritize materials and processes that minimize environmental harm and social disruption at the extraction stage, and advocate for supply chain transparency.

Study

Resource ManagementNew This WeekStrong effect

Critical Mineral Extraction for Energy Transition Creates New 'Sacrifice Zones'

Sustainability · 2026

Key Findings

01The energy transition is not solely a technological shift but also involves profound geopolitical and socio-environmental transformations.
02Conventional energy justice frameworks often fail to account for the material and energy flows underpinning energy systems.
03Critical mineral supply chains, essential for low-carbon technologies, can reproduce inequalities and create 'sacrifice zones' in resource-rich regions.
04Local socio-environmental conflicts are intrinsically linked to global energy dynamics.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When selecting materials for energy-related design projects, research the origin and extraction methods of those materials, considering their environmental and social footprint.

Project actions

01When choosing materials for your design project, think about where they come from and how they are made.
02Consider if your design choices might contribute to environmental damage or social inequality in other parts of the world.

Method & Evidence

AimHow do the geopolitical and socio-environmental impacts of critical mineral extraction for the energy transition, exemplified by copper mining in Chile and Peru, challenge conventional notions of energy justice and create new forms of environmental injustice?

MethodGuided literature synthesis combining energy justice, political ecology, decolonial critiques, and green extractivism.

ProcedureThe study synthesized existing literature to develop a geopolitically informed approach to energy justice, then applied this framework to case studies of copper extraction in Chile and Peru.

ContextGlobal energy transition, critical mineral supply chains, extractive industries, Latin America.

Variables

IVGeopolitical restructuring and socio-environmental transformations associated with critical mineral extraction.

DVEnergy justice, creation of 'sacrifice zones', perpetuation of centre-periphery inequalities.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Integrates multiple critical theoretical frameworks (EJ, political ecology, decolonial critiques).
+Provides a novel, geopolitically informed approach to energy justice.
+Uses illustrative case studies to demonstrate the framework's applicability.

Limitations

The study is based on a literature review, so direct, on-the-ground data from specific extraction sites is not presented.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity relies on the robustness of the synthesized literature and the coherence of the developed framework. Reliability is enhanced by the systematic approach to literature synthesis.

Think critically

To what extent can a 'just' energy transition be achieved if it relies on the exploitation of resources and communities in 'sacrifice zones'?

Design Principles

"Embrace a holistic approach to sustainability that accounts for the geopolitical and socio-environmental impacts of resource extraction throughout the entire product lifecycle."

Designers and engineers involved in the energy transition must look beyond the immediate technological solutions and consider the upstream impacts of material sourcing. Understanding the geopolitical and socio-environmental consequences of resource extraction is crucial for developing truly sustainable and equitable energy systems.

What This Means for Your Design

Making green energy technologies means digging up a lot of stuff, and this digging can cause big problems for the environment and the people living nearby, especially in poorer countries, which isn't fair.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the sourcing of materials for your design project, particularly if your project relates to energy or new technologies.
2.Use the concept of 'sacrifice zones' to critically evaluate the environmental and social costs of material choices.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The global energy transition, while aiming for decarbonization, necessitates the extraction of critical minerals, which can lead to significant socio-environmental degradation and perpetuate global inequalities. Research on copper extraction in Chile and Peru highlights how these 'sacrifice zones' are created, challenging conventional notions of energy justice and underscoring the need for designers to consider the upstream impacts of material sourcing throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Source

Sustainability

Energy Justice, Critical Minerals, and the Geopolitical Metabolism of the Global Energy Transition: Insights from Copper Extraction in Chile and Peru

journal · 2026

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about critical mineral extraction for energy transition creates new 'sacrifice zones'?: When designing for the energy transition, prioritize materials and processes that minimize environmental harm and social disruption at the extraction stage, and advocate for supply chain transparency. Evidence: Sustainability (2026).
Why does "Critical Mineral Extraction for Energy Transition Creates New 'Sacrifice Zones'" matter for design?: Designers and engineers involved in the energy transition must look beyond the immediate technological solutions and consider the upstream impacts of material sourcing. Understanding the geopolitical and socio-environmental consequences of resource extraction is crucial for developing truly sustainable and equitable energy systems.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing for the energy transition, prioritize materials and processes that minimize environmental harm and social disruption at the extraction stage, and advocate for supply chain transparency.
What were the main findings?: The energy transition is not solely a technological shift but also involves profound geopolitical and socio-environmental transformations.. Conventional energy justice frameworks often fail to account for the material and energy flows underpinning energy systems.. Critical mineral supply chains, essential for low-carbon technologies, can reproduce inequalities and create 'sacrifice zones' in resource-rich regions.. Local socio-environmental conflicts are intrinsically linked to global energy dynamics.
What research method was used?: Guided literature synthesis combining energy justice, political ecology, decolonial critiques, and green extractivism..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2026 journal from Sustainability.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When selecting materials for energy-related design projects, research the origin and extraction methods of those materials, considering their environmental and social footprint.
What are the limitations?: The study relies on existing literature and does not present new empirical data from the case study regions.