This book examines the social, environmental and political sustainability of Peru’s mining industry as it seeks to garner the benefits of the energy transition between now and 2050.
As the global shift toward net-zero emissions accelerates, Peru is uniquely positioned to play a vital role in the energy transition, thanks to its abundant reserves of critical minerals. This growing global demand presents an unprecedented opportunity for the country to harness its natural wealth to support sustainable development. Yet, the experiences of the past 25 years have shown that maximizing these benefits requires more than resource abundance alone. Social and environmental challenges have too often accompanied mining expansion, leading to significant conflicts around new projects. This book moves the conversation forward by offering a deeper understanding of the structural challenges posed by modern industrial mining and identifying the public policies needed to address them. It goes beyond the traditional “resource curse” narrative to explore how mining can serve as a driver of inclusive growth—provided it is responsibly managed, transparently governed, and aligned with the needs of affected communities. A key message is that the future of mining in Peru depends on building a stronger, more democratic, and participatory state: one capable of representing all sectors of society, not just corporate interests. By learning from past missteps and committing to institutional reforms that promote dialogue, accountability, and equitable development, Peru can chart a new path. The goal is not simply to avoid conflict, but to contribute towards a governance model and building of institutional mechanisms capable of meeting and resolving variant interests in society and enables mining to contribute meaningfully to national well-being and long-term sustainability. While Peru provides key examples of the problems arising from mining development, it typifies problems encountered elsewhere not just in Latin America but further afield. It will therefore be of interest to a far wider readership concerned with the extractive industries.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of mining and the extractive industries, Latin American development and natural resource management more widely, as well as those involved in government and NGOs.
Table of Contents:
Introduction Part 1: Context 1. Research on Mining in Peru: State of the Art 2. On Mining, the State and Social Development in Peru: An Historical perspective Part 2: Mining and Society 3. Mining Conflicts and Negotiated Settlements 4. Formal Large-Scale Mining and Informal Mining in Peru: between the “Great Threat” and Sustainable Mining Development 5. Women, Gender and Mining in Peru 6. Mining, Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining 7. Free Prior and Informed Consent among Indigenous Communities Part 3: Mining and the Environment 8. Mining and Environmental Regulation 9. Critical Minerals in the Peruvian Amazon 10. Mining and Climate Change Part 4: Mining and the State 11. Mining and Taxation in Peru 12. Management of Transfers to Local Government 13. Mining and ‘State Capture’ Conclusions
About the Author :
John Crabtree is a Research Associate at the Latin American Centre at Oxford University, UK. He is co-author of Bolivia: Processes of Change (2013), Elite Power and Political Capture (2017), and Business Power and the State in the Central Andes (2023).
Gonzalo Delgado J. is a Research Associate at the Centre for Studies in Mining and Sustainability (CEMS) at the Universidad del Pacífico, Lima, Peru. Previously he was manager of corporate affairs for Talisman Energy in Peru and served as regional director for South America and president of the regional governance council for Oxfam International.
