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The project analyzes democratic processes in relation to the extraction of critical minerals in Sweden.
Democracy and controversies in the green transition: The case of critical mineral extraction in Sweden
Research project
Active research
Short description
The green transition's hunger for minerals creates tensions between, on one hand, the promises of politics and industry for sustainable development and, on the other hand, concerns about negative impacts on the environment, indigenous rights, and the long-term livelihoods of local communities. In this project, we investigate whether democratic participation can be maintained and even strengthened in connection with conflicts surrounding the extraction of critical minerals in Sweden. We analyze the functioning of democracy in ongoing or planned cases of mining and develop, in close collaboration with key stakeholders, practically applicable tools for inclusive decision-making.
The research team consists of Rikard Hjorth Warlenius, Associate Professor in Environmental Social Science, Amanda Margaret Machin, Professor of Sociology, Jan Bachmann, Associate Professor in Peace and Development Studies, and Daniel Fjellborg, postdoctor in Political Science (not pictured here).
Photo: Linda Genborg
Research team
- Rikard Hjorth Warlenius (project leader)
- Jan Bachmann, University of Gothenburg
- Amanda Margaret Machin, University of Agder
- Daniel Fjellborg, University of Gothenburg
We warmly welcome Daniel Fjellborg to the project team. Daniel holds a PhD in political science from Luleå University of Technology and brings extensive research expertise on social movements and opposition to mining projects in Sweden. In this project, Daniel will focus on political contestations surrounding critical mineral mining at both the municipal, national and European levels. Daniel is based in Kiruna in Arctic Sweden.
Project activities
- 20-21 April 2026: Workshop “The Politics of Critical Mineral Extraction in the Nordics: Democracy and Controversy”, hosted by the University in Agder Kristiansand, Norway; organized by the project team.
- 9–11 June 2026: Paper presentation given at the Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference, Uppsala, and co-organization of the conference workshop ‘Knowledge for Action: Democratic participation and social movements in sustainability transformations’. Participation in the conference session ‘The Price of Going Green – Competing Claims on Land’.
- August 2026: Initial scoping mission in Kiruna.
- 1-4 September 2026: Presentation given at the International Sustainability Transitions Conference, Zürich, and co-organization of the conference track ‘Transitioning Within Limits: Critical Perspectives on Sustainability Assumptions and Claims’.
Researchers Rikard Warlenius, Daniel Fjellborg and Jan Bachmann at the site of the proposed graphite mine Nunasvaara (Vittangi, Kiruna).