Énergies renouvelables et utilisation des terres

The report argues that the rapid deployment of renewable energy in the Global South often mirrors the harms of the fossil fuel era, leading to 'green grabbing' and 'green energy colonialism'. Through case studies, it documents the displacement of rural and pastoral communities in India, the impact of Israeli occupation on energy sovereignty in Palestine, political apathy toward decentralized solar in Bangladesh, and the ecological threats posed by lithium extraction in Argentina. It emphasizes that without community control, gender equality, and rigorous environmental oversight, the energy transition risks sacrificing the rights of marginalized peoples for a perceived global collective interest.

• Large-scale renewable projects in the Global South often replicate extractivist models, leading to 'green grabbing' where land is appropriated for climate goals at the expense of local rights. In India, the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar project uses rural land to power distant urban areas, causing host communities to suffer from loss of livelihoods and inadequate compensation while still facing energy shortages.
• Lithium extraction in Argentina's sebkhas is characterized as 'green energy colonialism,' where the Global South serves as a raw material provider for the North's energy transition, specifically electric mobility. This process threatens unique semi-arid habitats and water resources, despite some areas being recognized under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands.
• In Palestine, the Israeli occupation is the primary barrier to energy sovereignty, as Israel controls the land and the electrical grid, forcing Palestine to import over 90% of its electricity. While solar projects offer a path to reduce this dependence, they are limited by land access, particularly in Area C, which has the highest solar potential but is under full Israeli control.
• The Bangladeshi government uses the country's high population density and lack of land as a political justification to maintain a costly dependence on fossil fuels and resist large-scale renewable energy. This 'political apathy' hinders the effective implementation of decentralized solar policies, such as rooftop installations in Dhaka, which often remain underutilized or disconnected from the grid.
• Energy transitions in the studied regions are hindered by patriarchal structures that exclude women from technical and decision-making roles outside the domestic sphere. In Palestine, no women lead medium- or large-scale solar projects, and in Bangladesh, systemic exclusion is exacerbated by disparities in education for rural women.
• The deployment of renewable energy has caused significant disruptions to traditional land use and biodiversity. In India, the Rewa project devastated the livelihoods of landless pastoralist communities (Paal and Yadav) by blocking access to rocky lands. In Palestine, a lack of environmental monitoring has led to the intentional poisoning of birds to prevent them from fouling solar panels.
• Obsolete or controlled electrical grid infrastructure acts as a bottleneck for renewable energy expansion. In Bangladesh, the grid is unable to support the growth of centralized and decentralized projects. In Palestine, the capacity of solar installations in Tubas slightly exceeds the grid's capacity, risking damage to the local network.

APA

Schiffer, A., Shaw, S., Al Butmeh, A., Rabi, A., Snunu, A., Wafi, A., Salvatico, N., Gould, M. M., Alderete, G., Sablé, L., Fernandes, M., Damle, H., Kumar, R., & Ahamad, A. (2023). Énergies renouvelables et utilisation des terres. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Energies-renouvelables-et-utilisation-des-terres_rapport-ATI.pdf

Chicago

Schiffer, Anne, Sara Shaw, Abeer Al Butmeh, Ayman Rabi, Aya Snunu, Ali Wafi, Natalia Salvatico, et al. Énergies renouvelables et utilisation des terres. Friends of the Earth International, 2023. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Energies-renouvelables-et-utilisation-des-terres_rapport-ATI.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schiffer |first1=Anne |last2=Shaw |first2=Sara |last3=Al Butmeh |first3=Abeer |last4=Rabi |first4=Ayman |last5=Snunu |first5=Aya |last6=Wafi |first6=Ali |last7=Salvatico |first7=Natalia |last8=Gould |first8=María Mercedes |last9=Alderete |first9=Giuliana |display-authors=etal |title=Énergies renouvelables et utilisation des terres |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Energies-renouvelables-et-utilisation-des-terres_rapport-ATI.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schiffer2023nergies, author = {Schiffer, Anne and Shaw, Sara and Al Butmeh, Abeer and Rabi, Ayman and Snunu, Aya and Wafi, Ali and Salvatico, Natalia and Gould, María Mercedes and Alderete, Giuliana and Sablé, Lis and Fernandes, Marianna and Damle, Himanshu and Kumar, Rajesh and Ahamad, Ayaz}, title = {{Énergies renouvelables et utilisation des terres}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Energies-renouvelables-et-utilisation-des-terres_rapport-ATI.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }