Accelerating mineral extraction in Sápmi : an environmental justice analysis of the EU’s critical raw materials act

Sammanfattning

Europe’s rising demand for critical minerals has intensified efforts to enhance domestic extraction as part of a sustainable green energy transition. In response, the European Union finalised the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) in 2024, aiming to streamline permitting processes for projects that contribute to the Union’s strategic goals. Sweden, with its substantial reserves of critical raw materials, has embraced the CRMA by taking measures to meet its targets and to maintain its position as Europe’s leading mining nation. Amid this policy enforcement, the stateowned mining company LKAB announced the discovery of a rare earth element deposit in Kiruna called Per Geijer, which could be granted a speeded permit process under the CRMA. However, this project lies beneath the land of Gabna Sámi village, a reindeer herding collective (RHC) whose livelihoods and reindeer herding practices are deeply tied to their traditional grazing lands. Hence, this project poses serious threats to their reindeer herding activities that are integral parts of their cultural identity and continuity. This research engages with the theory of Indigenous environmental justice (IEJ) to critically examine how the CRMA and its implementation in the Per Geijer case affect the Gabna Sámi village across multiple justice dimensions. The findings reveal tensions between EU’s industrial and green transition goals and the Sámi village’s rights and reindeer herding practices. The findings also contribute to the broader discussion on the evolving discourse of justice, Indigeneity and the governance of natural resources in the context of the green transition.