Tandem of HIAS Fellowship: How Sustainable Are "Green Energies" in Mexico?

9 March 2026

Photo: Isabel Rodríguez Peña

On March 5, Isabel Rodríguez Peña presented a colloquium titled "The Socio-Ecological Paradox of the Energy Transition: Mineral Demand, Water Stress, and Environmental Policy Conflicts in Mexico — An Analysis Using the NEXUS Approach". The event took place at the Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS). Professor Dr. Uwe Schneider, who holds a professorship in Agricultural and Resource Economics at FNK, attended the event. He is collaborating with Isabel Rodríguez Peñas as a tandem partner at the HIAS.

The Mexican economist's research project explores the socioecological implications of the Nexus between water, energy, and minerals. The project commences with a socio-ecological paradox: the energy transition, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions and increase the use of renewable energies, simultaneously creates new pressures on areas that are already at risk. The present study explores how integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, intensifies the extraction of critical minerals, including lithium, copper, and zinc. The extraction of these minerals is concentrated in Mexico's northern states, which are already experiencing chronic water scarcity and social vulnerability.

The project interrogates the sustainability of so-called "green energies" by investigating their potential to disrupt environmental practices through an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates political economy, political ecology, and policy analysis. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of more equitable energy and spatial planning policies in Mexico.

The HIAS fellowship for Isabel Rodríguez Peñas is financed by the federal government and the state of Hamburg. These funds are recruited by the University of Hamburg as part of the excellence strategy.