A review of systematic environmental risks across the life cycle of lithium resources: Identification, assessment, and sustainable governance strategies.

Driven by the global energy transition, lithium demand has surged dramatically, yet the full life cycle of this critical resource embodies a fundamental green paradox: decarbonization technologies rely on extraction and processing activities associated with severe and interconnected environmental burdens. Through systemic bibliometric analysis of 389 peer-reviewed studies, this review identifies three core systemic risk characteristics: upstream path dependency (hydrological stress in brine extraction; high carbon intensity and solid waste in hard-rock mining); downstream recycling system failure (secondary pollution from mainstream technologies and the proliferation of informal recycling); and cross-regional spatial transfer of environmental costs along the global supply chain. In response to these interconnected challenges, this study constructs a coordinated governance framework integrating technology, policy, and management dimensions. The framework proposes differentiated governance paths tailored to specific lithium sources and life cycle stages, coupled with market-based instruments to internalize environmental and social costs. This research aims to provide a pragmatic, systems-level resolution to the "green paradox," ensuring that the global energy transition rests on a genuinely sustainable foundation.