Lithium Governance in the Lithium Triangle and the Goal of Achieving Sustainable Development: Where is it Heading?

The rhetoric of sustainable development has emerged as a primary consideration in governance, particularly in relation to natural resources. Lithium, for its part, is a critical mineral in the goal of decarbonisation and energy transition driven by the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, which is embedded in the broader context of the transition to a ‘green economy’. The countries of the Lithium Triangle – Bolivia, Argentina and Chile – with 50 % of the world’s lithium reserves, are positioned as key players in this objective. The major powers are seeking supplies of this critical resource to meet their energy and economic objectives as part of the energy transition and have therefore adopted various geopolitical and geoeconomic measures to secure supplies of this mineral. The countries of the lithium triangle want to use this strategic resource to move closer to development through the exploitation and subsequent production of the resource and value-added products. However, lithium extraction generates serious social and environmental tensions that need to be urgently addressed. This article develops a comparative analysis of the lithium governance models of the Lithium Triangle countries and their alignment with the sustainable development framework. This is done through an analysis of the epistemological basis of sustainable development, followed by a cross-pillar (economic, social and environmental) examination of the governance models of these countries. The aim of this study is to highlight the contributions and challenges of lithium governance for the lithium triangle countries and the planet within an integrated framework of sustainable development analysis.