Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: PEDRO CATANZARO DA ROCHA LEÃO

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : PEDRO CATANZARO DA ROCHA LEÃO
DATE: 25/09/2024
TIME: 10:00
LOCAL: CPDA/UFRRJ
TITLE:

MINING IN THE CONTEXT OF ENERGY TRANSITION: reflections from the Brazilian Northeast

KEY WORDS:

Mining; Energy Transition; Neoextactivism; Critcal and Strategic Minerals; Northeast

PAGES: 88
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Sociologia
SUBÁREA: Sociologia Rural
SUMMARY:

In the last decade, the neoextractivist mode of accumulation and development has intensified in Latin America. One dimension of this process is expressed in a new global rush for minerals. This time, the search is for critical minerals for the energy transition and a decarbonized world, required by global climate agreements to make up the renewable energy, electric cars and new technologies production chains. In this context, there has been observed an increase in mining sector activities in Brazilian territory in recent years. Among the country's macro-regions, the Northeast stands out due the significant increase in the sector’s movements on geological surveys, research requests and mining projects. But to what extent does this new dimension of the race for natural resources, focusing on critical minerals for a decarbonized world, reach the Brazilian Northeast? What are the characteristics of this mining expansion in the region? To address these questions, this research aims to analyze the process of mining expansion in the Northeast region of Brazil and assess its possible connections with the increase in the international demand for critical minerals. Specifically, it seeks to: (1) identify and characterize the vectors of mining expansion in the Northeast, i.e., where mineral extraction processes are occurring, the social actors involved (companies and/or informal miners) and the main types of minerals; (2) characterize the current debate on energy transition and mining at national level, with special emphasis on the role of the Northeast in this dynamic; (3) analyze the main mining projects and the discursive strategies of governments and pre-selected companies that operate in the states of Ceará and Bahia regarding mining for energy transition. To achieve the proposed objectives, this qualitative analytical research relies on a methodology that includes: (a) surveying and analyzing bibliographic material on the analytical categories of “neoextractivism” and “energy transition”, within which the concepts of critical and strategic minerals emerge; (b) analyzing primary and secondary data provided by the National Mining Agency, including the preparation of maps, charts, and tables on Operational Value (R$) and Active Mining Processes; (c) conducting fieldwork with semi-structured interviews. Despite a dialogue with the dynamics of mineral extraction throughout history, this research will give greater emphasis on the period from 2004 to 2023. This timeframe is justified by the context of the commodities boom that began in the early 21st century and marks the intensification of the Brazilian extractivist model, considering its most recent scenario characterized by corporate and governmental strategies “in the name of the climate” following the Paris Agreement. This qualification work presents the theme, objectives, theoretical framework, and proposed research methodology; the initial chapters; the dissertation summary; and the bibliographic references used.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1425152 - FABRINA PONTES FURTADO
Interno - 1063179 - SERGIO PEREIRA LEITE
Externa à Instituição - CAMILA DUTRA DOS SANTOS - UECE
Externo à Instituição - LUCAS ZENHA ANTONINO - UFRB