TALK | The Geopoliticization of Critical Raw Materials: Undermining a Just Global Green Transition by Finnish scholar Anni Kangas on May 28 at 3:30 pm at UW

This public talk is based on Dr. Anni Kangas's ongoing research into the politics and political economies of critical raw material (CRM) extraction and value chains, focusing on the collaboration between the European Union and Central Asia. Kangas's point of departure is the idea of a CRM paradox: while these materials are essential for the green transition, their mining comes with considerable ecological and social costs, the brunt of which is borne by mining communities, while most of the benefits accumulate at the end of the value chains in the Global North. This emphasizes the importance of steering the green transition to a more just and sustainable direction globally. However, with the current geopoliticization of critical raw materials, achieving this is increasingly difficult.

 

Dr. Anni Kangas is a University Lecturer in International Relations at Tampere University. She has a versatile research profile that includes Finnish-Russian relations, Finnish foreign and security policy, and international and global political economy. Dr. Kangas has previously explored global cities and labor migration dynamics, particularly in the Eurasian context. Her current research focuses on the politics and political economies of critical raw material extraction and value chains, with a particular emphasis on the collaboration between the European Union and Central Asia. Additionally, she has integrated art as a research material, object, and method into her research on these topics.