The Social Licence to Mine: A New Frontier for Energy Security
A new study in Energy Research & Social Science argues that securing a “social license”—the ongoing acceptance of a project by local communities and stakeholders—is as critical as geopolitical strategy for the supply chains of minerals essential for the energy transition. The research moves beyond traditional state-centric risk analysis to examine how community opposition, labor disputes, and environmental activism can disrupt the flow of critical materials, creating vulnerabilities that are less predictable than international diplomacy.
Why it might matter to you:
For a professional with a background in public-sector energy procurement, this reframes supply chain risk from a purely geopolitical or technical issue to one deeply rooted in social dynamics. It suggests that effective long-term energy strategy requires integrating community relations and social impact assessments into the core of procurement and planning decisions, not treating them as peripheral concerns.
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