Extractivism Talks #06: “From Commodity Consensus to Decarbonization Consensus”

Maristella Svampa is unquestionably one of the most influential scholars in Latin America. She has devoted intensive research to issues concerning the export of raw materials and the various risks of extractivism, aiming to develop socially and ecologically compatible alternatives. She has also carried out pioneering work in various areas, including her research on new social movements, the Argentinian financial and economic crisis, socio-ecological transformation, the emergence of new global development paradigms, and gender inequality. She is a leading academic and source of inspiration for developing social science theory in Latin America.

In this Extractivism Talks, Maristella Svampa delves into her conceptualization of the “Decarbonisation Consensus”, a topic of utmost relevance in our current socio-ecological context. She will focus her talk on four key historical moments: the character of the civilizational poly-crisis, the definition and significance of the Decarbonisation Consensus, the complex issue of green colonialism, and the lithium issue in South America as a compelling case study. She will also reflect on the continuities and differences between the Commodities Consensus and the Decarbonisation Consensus, providing a comprehensive understanding of these crucial concepts.

The discussion will be moderated by Hans-Jürgen Burchardt, who holds the chair of International and Intersocial Relations at the University of Kassel, is director of the Merian Center of Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS) and of the Latin American Studies Center (CELA) as well as the primary investigator of the Extractivism.de project.

Maristella Svampa has been a university professor of sociology since 2010, making her the highest-ranking professor in the Argentinean system at the Universidad Nacional de la Plata (Buenos Aires). In 2024, she received the prestigious Georg Forster Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. As part of the Kassel Latin America Center (CELA), Maristella Svampa researches the problems of socio-ecological transformation in the North-South dialogue.