Conclusion

In the concluding chapter the edited book is placed in the present conjuncture of the Ukraine-Russian war, the renewed emphasis on the green transition and the intense geopolitical competition over access to and control over strategic resources. One consequence of the present state of affairs is that approvals and extractive investment decisions are now moving ahead thick and fast. While it is an open question whether these new extractive investments in gas, oil, minerals and food will be implemented and whether the rights of local populations will be upheld, or whether they will trigger new conflicts, the concluding chapter argues that we can learn from the experience of past resource booms. This requires a focus on the relations of key groups of actors and on investment processes in both the short and longer terms, which is exactly what the volume has explored in great detail and with vigour.