Paradise Lost?: The red right hand of green technology

Simon Sneddon

doi:10.4337/jhre.2023.02.03

Paradise Lost? The red right hand of green technology

Simon Sneddon

Law

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This article addresses issues of climate and environmental injustice through the lens of electric vehicle (EV) usage. The current market for batteries relies very heavily on Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, as they provide ‘high efficiency and low cost’. In 2020, BloombergNEF forecast that by 2040, 58% of global passenger vehicles sales would be EVs, with demand for batteries rising commensurately. Between 2010 and 2021, average unit price for EV batteries fell from $1,200 to $132 per kW/h.

This article considers the environmental impacts of EVs and assesses the extent to which impacts on local communities are reflected accurately in calculations of the benefits of EV technology. It concludes that whilst the carbon emissions and impact on climate of using EVs is significantly lower than for using petrol or diesel vehicles, the current cost of the technology simply does not reflect the disproportionate impact on the populations living near the extraction sites for the minerals needed in EV batteries.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	169-193
Number of pages	25
Journal	Journal of Human Rights and the Environment
Volume	14
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4337/jhre.2023.02.03
Publication status	Published - 22 Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Environmental Justice
Climate Justice
Electric Vehicles
Batteries

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.4337/jhre.2023.02.03

Sneddon_2023_Paradise_Lost_The_red_right_hand_of_green_technologyAccepted author manuscript, 419 KB

4 Conference Presentation
1 Invited talk
1 Seminar/Workshop

Gift Wrapping the Future as a present to the present
Sneddon, S. (Author)
30 May 2023 → 31 May 2023
Activity: Academic Talks or Presentations › Conference Presentation › Research

File
All that glisters is not Green. Electric transport and environmental injustice
Sneddon, S. (Author)
18 Mar 2022
Activity: Academic Talks or Presentations › Conference Presentation › Research
Paradise Lost? The red right hand of green technology
Sneddon, S. (Author)
9 Feb 2022
Activity: Academic Talks or Presentations › Seminar/Workshop › Research

File
Li-Ions in the DRC: Battery Technology and Environmental Justice
Sneddon, S. (Author)
21 Jun 2022
Activity: Academic Talks or Presentations › Conference Presentation › Research

File

Cite this

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title = "Paradise Lost?: The red right hand of green technology",

abstract = "This article addresses issues of climate and environmental injustice through the lens of electric vehicle (EV) usage. The current market for batteries relies very heavily on Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, as they provide {\textquoteleft}high efficiency and low cost{\textquoteright}. In 2020, BloombergNEF forecast that by 2040, 58% of global passenger vehicles sales would be EVs, with demand for batteries rising commensurately. Between 2010 and 2021, average unit price for EV batteries fell from $1,200 to $132 per kW/h.This article considers the environmental impacts of EVs and assesses the extent to which impacts on local communities are reflected accurately in calculations of the benefits of EV technology. It concludes that whilst the carbon emissions and impact on climate of using EVs is significantly lower than for using petrol or diesel vehicles, the current cost of the technology simply does not reflect the disproportionate impact on the populations living near the extraction sites for the minerals needed in EV batteries.",

keywords = "Environmental Justice, Climate Justice, Electric Vehicles, Batteries",

author = "Simon Sneddon",

note = "{\textcopyright} Sneddon 2023. The definitive, peer reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, 14(2), 169–193, 2023",

year = "2023",

month = sep,

day = "22",

doi = "10.4337/jhre.2023.02.03",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

pages = "169--193",

journal = "Journal of Human Rights and the Environment",

issn = "1759-7188",

publisher = "Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Paradise Lost?

T2 - The red right hand of green technology

AU - Sneddon, Simon

PY - 2023/9/22

Y1 - 2023/9/22

N2 - This article addresses issues of climate and environmental injustice through the lens of electric vehicle (EV) usage. The current market for batteries relies very heavily on Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, as they provide ‘high efficiency and low cost’. In 2020, BloombergNEF forecast that by 2040, 58% of global passenger vehicles sales would be EVs, with demand for batteries rising commensurately. Between 2010 and 2021, average unit price for EV batteries fell from $1,200 to $132 per kW/h.This article considers the environmental impacts of EVs and assesses the extent to which impacts on local communities are reflected accurately in calculations of the benefits of EV technology. It concludes that whilst the carbon emissions and impact on climate of using EVs is significantly lower than for using petrol or diesel vehicles, the current cost of the technology simply does not reflect the disproportionate impact on the populations living near the extraction sites for the minerals needed in EV batteries.

AB - This article addresses issues of climate and environmental injustice through the lens of electric vehicle (EV) usage. The current market for batteries relies very heavily on Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, as they provide ‘high efficiency and low cost’. In 2020, BloombergNEF forecast that by 2040, 58% of global passenger vehicles sales would be EVs, with demand for batteries rising commensurately. Between 2010 and 2021, average unit price for EV batteries fell from $1,200 to $132 per kW/h.This article considers the environmental impacts of EVs and assesses the extent to which impacts on local communities are reflected accurately in calculations of the benefits of EV technology. It concludes that whilst the carbon emissions and impact on climate of using EVs is significantly lower than for using petrol or diesel vehicles, the current cost of the technology simply does not reflect the disproportionate impact on the populations living near the extraction sites for the minerals needed in EV batteries.

KW - Environmental Justice

KW - Climate Justice

KW - Electric Vehicles

KW - Batteries

U2 - 10.4337/jhre.2023.02.03

DO - 10.4337/jhre.2023.02.03

M3 - Article

SN - 1759-7188

VL - 14

SP - 169

EP - 193

JO - Journal of Human Rights and the Environment

JF - Journal of Human Rights and the Environment

IS - 2

ER -

Paradise Lost? The red right hand of green technology

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Activities

Gift Wrapping the Future as a present to the present

All that glisters is not Green. Electric transport and environmental injustice

Paradise Lost? The red right hand of green technology

Li-Ions in the DRC: Battery Technology and Environmental Justice

Cite this