Lithium is regarded as a key raw material for the global energy transition. To achieve climate neutrality and reduce strategic dependencies – particularly on China – the EU and Germany are strengthening their ties with Chile as a key strategic partner in the raw materials sector. In the Salar de Atacama, however, this strategic priority comes at a high price: significant social and environmental impacts on the indigenous Lickanantay people.
Jointly authored through a collaboration between the NGOs Germanwatch and Observatorio Ciudadano, this study brings together perspectives from European and Chilean civil society. Against the backdrop of the public-private partnership between CODELCO and SQM (NovAndino Litio), it examines the local socio-ecological challenges in the Salar de Atacama, as well as the roles, interactions, and scope of action of actors across the entire lithium supply chain. On this basis, the study presents tailored recommendations for key stakeholder groups.
