Cadenas de valor, diversificación y transición energética justa: el caso de Chile
Rehner, J., Freites, A., Lorie, A., & Atienza, M. (2026). Cadenas de valor, diversificación y transición energética justa: el caso de Chile (América Latina, China y una Transición Energética Justa: Serie de Documentos de Trabajo). Universidad del Pacífico Centro de Estudios sobre China y Asia-Pacífico, Boston University Global Development Policy Center.
The document analyzes the integration of the energy transition with value chains; discusses the possibilities for economic diversification; and identifies the challenges of a just energy transition from a spatial perspective, considering various economic actors and stakeholders. The availability of non-renewable natural resources such as lithium, and the favorable conditions for clean energy production, open up opportunities in this area, as an executive in the sector stated in an interview: “We have the benefits of nature to contribute to the global energy transition, and hopefully we can take advantage of them, and that this will ultimately improve our economy and people’s lives.”
For more than three decades, Chile has established itself as a successful exporting country, a recognition reflected in its entry into the OECD in 2010 and the signing of numerous free trade agreements, including the agreement with China (2006). However, due to the almost complete absence of fossil fuel energy sources and the persistent global dependence on oil, the country has historically been reliant on energy imports. Except for isolated incidents, such as the difficulties in accessing natural gas stemming from geopolitical tensions with Bolivia and Argentina in 2004, energy supply has not presented a major obstacle. This can be explained, firstly, by trade surpluses—fluctuating but sustained—and, secondly, by a foreign policy oriented towards global trade, avoiding excessive dependence on specific partners and promoting bilateralism.
