Critical mineral (in)securities: Techno-legal fixes and the reproduction of socio-environmental abuses

In response to China’s dominance, the European Union and the United States securitize critical mineral supplies. They also aim to address potential environmental and socio-economic challenges associated with increased industrial activities. Building on political ecology and critical geography, we examine the legal and technical measures—referred to as techno-legal fixes—designed to balance the need for secure mineral supplies with socio-environmental protection. We argue that the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act and Battery Passport, alongside the U.S.’ Inflation Reduction Act and Justice40 Initiative, serve as capitalist trade-offs that perpetuate harmful practices justified by low-carbon transitions. Techno-legal fixes reflect a securitization framework integrating socio-environmental costs with the goal of accelerating green extractivism, rather than pursuing more radical alternatives that would address the contradictions of “green growth.” We highlight the impact of European policies on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where critical minerals are extracted. We also explore the implications of U.S. efforts to revitalize its domestic mining sector. By exposing the abuses and inequities embedded within these techno-legal fixes as well as the rise of neo-illiberalism and shift from “green” to “naked” extractivism, we point at the limits of a conflicting governance system characterizing the challenges of the transition to a low-carbon economy.