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Attraction to extraction : grey areas in extractive continuity in the Swedish steel transition

de Leeuw, Georgia LU orcid (2025) In Globalizations p.1-21
Abstract
Sweden is a country that prides itself on its mining tradition, contributions to European self-sufficiency and, more recently, its steel transition. It focuses its greening efforts on decarbonizing and automating the steel industry. Meanwhile, destructive impacts on land and biodiversity are largely overlooked. Drawing on the literature on extractivism and on psychoanalytical conceptual literature this article analyses the continued orientation toward extraction in green transition efforts as a fantasmatic undertaking, an anticipation of happiness in the future by way of desiring extraction. By dissecting this attraction to extraction, the article points to the ways in which the fantasy helps paint the grey green without divorcing from its... (More)
Sweden is a country that prides itself on its mining tradition, contributions to European self-sufficiency and, more recently, its steel transition. It focuses its greening efforts on decarbonizing and automating the steel industry. Meanwhile, destructive impacts on land and biodiversity are largely overlooked. Drawing on the literature on extractivism and on psychoanalytical conceptual literature this article analyses the continued orientation toward extraction in green transition efforts as a fantasmatic undertaking, an anticipation of happiness in the future by way of desiring extraction. By dissecting this attraction to extraction, the article points to the ways in which the fantasy helps paint the grey green without divorcing from its destructive tendencies. Though, realities of extractive harm present grey areas of doubt in extractive alignment. The research builds on 29 interviews with advocates of mining and green steel, and secondary data such as industry roadmaps and corporate information material. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
green steel, Sweden, fantasy, extraction, extractivism
in
Globalizations
pages
21 pages
publisher
Routledge
ISSN
1474-774X
DOI
10.1080/14747731.2025.2506269
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d6dd292c-88a8-4660-b5cf-393f8380d9a4
date added to LUP
2025-06-06 10:41:54
date last changed
2025-06-17 11:53:00
@article{d6dd292c-88a8-4660-b5cf-393f8380d9a4,
  abstract     = {{Sweden is a country that prides itself on its mining tradition, contributions to European self-sufficiency and, more recently, its steel transition. It focuses its greening efforts on decarbonizing and automating the steel industry. Meanwhile, destructive impacts on land and biodiversity are largely overlooked. Drawing on the literature on extractivism and on psychoanalytical conceptual literature this article analyses the continued orientation toward extraction in green transition efforts as a fantasmatic undertaking, an anticipation of happiness in the future by way of desiring extraction. By dissecting this attraction to extraction, the article points to the ways in which the fantasy helps paint the grey green without divorcing from its destructive tendencies. Though, realities of extractive harm present grey areas of doubt in extractive alignment. The research builds on 29 interviews with advocates of mining and green steel, and secondary data such as industry roadmaps and corporate information material.}},
  author       = {{de Leeuw, Georgia}},
  issn         = {{1474-774X}},
  keywords     = {{green steel; Sweden; fantasy; extraction; extractivism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  pages        = {{1--21}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Globalizations}},
  title        = {{Attraction to extraction : grey areas in extractive continuity in the Swedish steel transition}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2025.2506269}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14747731.2025.2506269}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}