Authors

Discussion

Over the past two decades, Russia has not actively developed its lithium reserves, instead relying on lithium carbonate imports from Chile, Argentina, China, and Bolivia. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Chile and Argentina halted lithium exports due to concerns over potential Western sanctions. This prompted Russia to swiftly turn to its abundant lithium reserves to avert a shortage and maintain its stake in the global power dynamics driven by the energy transition. 

The Kolmozerskoye deposit, identified as the largest and most promising lithium source in Russia, is located on the Indigenous Saami lands on the Kola Peninsula. Since 2023, it has been fastly developed under the joint venture of the mineral giant Norilsk Nickel and the state-owned Rosatom–Polar Lithium. Resources have historically been integral to the political-economic systems of coloniality and patriarchy, especially in Russia, which is why it is interesting that the project claims alignment with international standards related to land use in Indigenous lands. 

Even before receiving an official license in 2023, Norilsk Nickel started dialogues with Saami and other reindeer herders in the Murmansk region in 2022. In the public eye, the project is held up as an example of Norilsk Nickel's cooperation with Indigenous peoples and its efforts to respect their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. However, when looking at the case closer, several critical questions about the company's true commitment to indigenous socio-cultural and socio-ecological welfare arise. What is the meaning of the tools that supposedly support Indigenous rights if the Saami do not have a true voice in the actions of corporate social responsibility?

This paper, therefore, focuses on Norilsk Nickel's social responsibility tools, their past examples, and the narratives of sustainability and responsibility which ultimately promote extraction, from a perspective of asymmetrical power dynamics.