For decades, the world has relied on an energy model based on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas—identified as the main driver of climate change. In response, the global community is advancing a transition toward renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal, among others, which generate lower greenhouse gas emissions.
This transition requires a rapid expansion of technologies and infrastructure that depend on critical minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, graphite, lithium, and rare earth elements. This creates a dilemma: while we seek to overcome the legacy of extractive industries, the energy transition demands an unprecedented scale of mining. Similarly, progress in renewable energy infrastructure calls for broader reach, increased coverage, and the development of new projects to accelerate the shift to cleaner energy in the short and medium term. Latin America is no exception to this reality.
At CREER, we recognize that the rapid expansion of these sectors can generate social, environmental, economic, and human rights impacts in the territories where these operations take place. Our challenge is to promote a governance model that ensures a just and sustainable energy transition, grounded in a systemic perspective that identifies the dilemmas, nuances, and opportunities of these global transformations and their local impacts.
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To meet climate goals, investments in renewable energy must increase
Source: IRENA, 2023.
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Report from the meeting with workers and trade unions
Testimony from workers and trade unions
The rapid expansion of critical minerals for the energy transition and other strategic industries (agriculture, defense, technology) presents us with a paradox: the decarbonization of the planet depends on an intensification of mining activity. For CREER, this rapid expansion carries critical risks regarding human rights, local economic dynamics, and ecosystem balance. Our work focuses on analyzing these dilemmas through the lens of a just transition, promoting governance frameworks that mitigate negative impacts and ensure that the mining of “minerals for the future” is carried out under rigorous standards of sustainability, equity, and respect for fundamental rights, through dialogue among different stakeholders.
We analyze the governance and sustainability challenges that arise in the implementation of decentralized generation models. Our work focuses on researching how local associative structures interact with regulatory frameworks and human rights standards. Through applied research, we assess the risks of rent capture, internal decision-making conflicts, and the conditions necessary for these self-management schemes to guarantee equitable and transparent participation in the territory.
With a focus on responsible land management and respect for local livelihoods, at CREER we apply our technical expertise in the photovoltaic sector to promote a solar transition with social integrity. Through the analysis of rural environments, the strengthening of local governance, and the design of participation mechanisms, we seek to ensure that large-scale deployment in Latin America not only contributes to the energy mix, but also strengthens the social fabric. Our purpose is to lead due diligence models that ensure solar infrastructure coexists with food security, strategic ecosystems, and the productive vocations of each community.
