The White Gold

You’ve probably seen more and more electric cars on the road. They’re supposed to be the solution, right? Clean, and green.

But there’s something you might not know: the batteries inside those Electric Vehicles (EV) connect Berlín to Argentina, and the story isn’t as shiny as in the ads. In the Andes, rivers are drying up and entire communities are resisting destructive lithium mining. This is the hidden cost of Europe’s “green transition”.

This month, governments are meeting in Geneva to negotiate the UN Binding Treaty on business and human rights. Denmark, holding the EU presidency, has an opportunity (and responsibility) to stand with communities on the frontlines and push for binding rules that truly hold corporations accountable throughout the whole supply chain. Environmental justice means no more exploitation disguised as sustainability. The transition must protect everyone.

Our new podcast brings you the voices from factory protests in Berlin to the salt flats of Argentina. Listen to it and let’s demand that Denmark stands for human rights and climate justice, not corporate profit.

This podcast is written by Sarah Albertsen and Gabriela Villalba Alvarez, edited by NOAH, produced by Anders Poulsen and supported by Friends of the Earth Europe and OAK Foundation. 

Sources:

https://alternative-fuels-observatory.ec.europa.eu/general-information/news/european-battery-electric-vehicle-market-surges-34-first-half-2025-led#:~:text=The%20first%20half%20of%202025,and%20investments%20in%20charging%20infrastructure

https://www.electromaps.com/en/blog/ev-sales-europe-q1-2025-analysis

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/ 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345316717_Extractivismo_militarista_en_America_Latina 

https://corporateeurope.org/en/2025/04/why-progressives-must-organise-stop-eus-deregulation-wave 

https://e360.yale.edu/features/tire-pollution-toxic-chemicals 

Green, C., & Østli, V. (2025). The effect of battery-electric vehicle ownership on transport demand and substitution between modes. Transportation Research. Part A, Policy and Practice, 199, Article 104614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2025.104614 

First song: Ñushpi Quilla Mayhuay Alancay.

Other songs: Cristina Eliana Pérez: https://www.instagram.com/cristinaelianaperez?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==