On March 20, 2025, as part of its Environment and International Relations Seminar series. the Centre for International Studies (CERI) at Sciences Po will host a seminar titled \"Mining Disputes and Social License to Operate in Europe and Finland: Challenges for the Green Energy Transition?\".
The guest speaker of the event is a partner of our UNDERCOVER project, Toni Eerola, from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), senior specialist and social geologist. He will discuss the evolution of the mining-skeptical movement and the mining disputes in Finland. Additionally, he will provide insights from his recent research on the social license to operate for European lithium projects, including the French Beauvoir mine. He will also reflect on the paradoxes emerging from the green energy transition, particularly as Europe seeks to secure critical minerals needed for its low-carbon future while addressing local community concerns.
This event, forming part of a broader discussion on resource governance and sustainable development, will explore the challenges of balancing mineral extraction with social and environmental considerations, highlighting that achieving climate goals is not just a technological or industrial challenge — it’s a deeply social one too.
To know more about the topic, have a read at our partner's publication on "Insights on Public Acceptance of Major European Lithium Mine Projects"