Securitizing Energy Resources and Critical Raw Materials

Securitizing Energy Resources and Critical Raw Materials explores what it takes for a natural resource to become securitized, and a source of conflict, through the examples of rare earths and natural gas.

Under what circumstances do natural resources become securitized? Why have rare earths and natural gas become securitized? Why have rare earths gradually made it to the limelight of the international security agenda? How does this affect the behaviour of great powers such as the USA and China? The aim of this book is to answer questions like these through an array of case studies, such as the Rare Earth Crisis in 2010, climate securitization during President Biden’s administration, rare earths securitization during President Trump's current administration (2025-2029), natural gas securitization during the Russo-Ukrainian dispute, as well as natural gas securitization in the Eastern Mediterranean. Through analysing the securitization process and the actors’ behaviour in each of the cases and comparing the natural gas cases with the rare earths ones, the book provides a deeper understanding of the drivers of securitization and how it shapes regional and global politics. Additionally, a Natural Resources Index of Conflict (NRIC) is presented, as a way to quantify the likelihood of conflict over natural resources, beyond rare earths and natural gas.

Securitizing Energy Resources and Critical Raw Materials will be of great interest to students and scholars of Politics and International Relations, particularly those working on Energy Politics, Environmental Politics, and Security Studies.