The darkest shade of green transition

Tools

Zorpas, Antonis A. and Economou, Florentios and Naddeo, Vincenzo and Stylianou, Marinos and Voukkali, Irene and Vardopoulos, Ioannis and Tsiarta, Nikoletta and Samanides, Charis G. and Zarra, Tiziano and Wern, Bernhard and Vyzikas, Thomas and Inglezakis, Vassilis J. and Samaras, Petros (2026) The darkest shade of green transition. Energy Reports, 15. 109099. ISSN 2352-4847 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2026.109099)

[thumbnail of Zorpas-etal-ER-2026-The-darkest-shade-of-green-transition]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Zorpas-etal-ER-2026-The-darkest-shade-of-green-transition.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 logo
Download (6MB)| Preview

Abstract

The pursuit of climate neutrality through renewable energy and green technologies is widely promoted as a pathway to sustainability. Yet, it is without any doubt that absolutely clean energy does not actually exist, as several anthropogenic activities produced massive amounts of pollution in the progression of green transition. Everything produced around us is being made from earth minerals as for example solar panels, wind turbine, smart equipment’s, or electric cars that raw materials must be extracted somewhere. This paper introduces the concept of the dark green transition by looking on the data of Rare Eart Elements (REE) production, trade, and demand along with studying policies and case studies of mining areas. The study also highlights the paradox of using resource-heavy "green" solutions to fix environmental problems which at the end it creates a problem of its own. The findings show that REE extraction significant pollution, harmful waste, and health issues, especially in places where there's weak government control. Political and industrial challenges in the era of green and clean energy are infinity with micro and macro political issues internally in countries, affecting sensitive geopolitical areas and agreements. To deal with these contradictions, a shift toward circular economy strategies, closing the gaps in policy frameworks and integrating environmental justice and resource sustainability, is the way forward. Therefore, this paper argues that without confronting the darker side of the green transition, the pathway to a climate-neutral future risks undermining both ecological integrity and social equity.

ORCID iDs

Zorpas, Antonis A., Economou, Florentios, Naddeo, Vincenzo, Stylianou, Marinos, Voukkali, Irene, Vardopoulos, Ioannis, Tsiarta, Nikoletta, Samanides, Charis G., Zarra, Tiziano, Wern, Bernhard, Vyzikas, Thomas, Inglezakis, Vassilis J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0195-0417 and Samaras, Petros;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)