A nickel for your land: Discourse, power and politics of the green transition in Sweden: A case study of the Rönnbäcken nickel mine project
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Recent years have seen growing policy emphasis on raw materials as a cornerstone of Europe’s climate-neutral ambitions. In Sweden, this dynamic is exemplified by the planned Rönnbäcken nickel mine in Storuman municipality, promoted as one of Europe’s largest untapped nickel deposits. Initially framed as a socioeconomic opportunity, the project has been rearticulated as central to Sweden’s green transition, especially as demand for battery metals intensifies. This reframing, however, has intensified contestation from Sámi communities, local resistance groups, and non-governmental organizations. They argue that extractive projects threaten ecological values and Indigenous rights and livelihoods, reproducing what is described as (green) colonialism. In this thesis, a discourse-theoretical approach drawing on the theories of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe is applied to investigate how the Rönnbäcken project is discursively constructed and contested as a part of the green transition. Particular attention is given to how “green transition” functions as a floating signifier. Findings show, on one hand, narratives that link mining to climate policy and European strategic autonomy, framing extraction as necessary, essential, and green. On the other hand, counter-narratives by Sámi groups and local/environmentalist resistance movements challenge this discourse. They frame the mining project as incompatible with Indigenous self-determination and ecological limits, thus challenging the very notion of the mine contributing to a green transition.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 47
Keywords [en]
green transition, green colonialism, extractivism, Sámi rights, climate justice, Rönnbäcken nickel mine
Keywords [sv]
grön omställning, grön kolonialism, extraktivism, samiska rättigheter, klimaträttvisa, Rönnbäcken nickelgruva
National Category
Environmental Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-58310OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-58310DiVA, id: diva2:2009043
Subject / course
Environmental Science
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-10-272025-10-252025-10-27Bibliographically approved