Government revokes lithium mining licences after being accused of ignoring project’s potential for environmental harm
The Serbian government has revoked the lithium mining licences granted to the Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto after growing opposition to the company’s plans and souring relations with Australia after the deportation of Novak Djokovic.
Ana Brnabić, the Serbian prime minister, who faces a general election in early April, said all decisions and licences regarding Rio Tinto’s plans had been annulled because of environmental concerns.
The decision in effect pulls the plug on a potential $2.4bn (£1.8bn) investment by Rio Tinto in developing the country’s lithium resources, which could have made Serbia one of the world’s biggest producers of the highly sought-after metal used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles.
Original news published on The Guardian website. Read the full article
