Indigenous Peoples in the Renewable Energy Transition: Protest, Contestation, and the Potential of Improved Deliberation

The document argues that the global transition to renewable energy, specifically wind and solar, frequently results in 'green colonialism' where Indigenous rights to self-determination and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) are ignored. It documents human rights violations and land-grabbing in countries such as Kenya, Norway, Colombia, and Mexico, noting that Indigenous communities often respond through litigation, protest, and efforts to secure project ownership. The authors recommend the formal recognition of Indigenous rights, the strict application of FPIC, the implementation of Indigenous-led environmental impact assessments, and the promotion of Indigenous ownership to ensure a just transition.

• Renewable energy projects frequently mirror (neo-) colonial resource extraction patterns, a phenomenon termed 'green colonialism,' which reproduces systemic racism and land dispossession.
• Between 2010 and 2021, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre documented over 200 allegations related to renewable energy projects, including land and water grabs and Indigenous rights violations, with a notable increase in 2021.
• The principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), enshrined in UNDRIP (2007) and ILO Convention 169 (1989), is often neglected or contested by states and companies who are reluctant to recognize community veto rights.
• In Kenya, the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project in Marsabit County has faced accusations of land-grabbing and violating customary land rights, with a 2021 court ruling finding that 607 km2 of title deeds were unlawfully allocated.
• In Norway, the Fosen Wind Park was ruled invalid by the Supreme Court in 2021 for violating the rights of Sámi reindeer herders to practice their culture, yet the turbines remained operational two years later.
• Indigenous land and environmental defenders are disproportionately targeted for violence; Global Witness reported that over a third of the 1,910 defenders killed worldwide between 2012 and 2022 were Indigenous.
• Indigenous communities have successfully used strategic litigation and protest to halt projects, such as the Wayúu communities in Colombia who forced the utility Enel to suspend a planned wind park indefinitely.
• In Canada, Indigenous-led environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and funding schemes for project ownership are emerging as pathways to provide meaningful control and autonomy over heritage lands.

APA

Hobi, A.-S., & McNeish, J.-A. (2024). Indigenous Peoples in the Renewable Energy Transition: Protest, Contestation, and the Potential of Improved Deliberation. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8c230270-34df-4f86-8332-1b12e59749dc/PRIO Policy Brief 04-2024.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Hobi, Anna-Sophie, and John-Andrew McNeish. Indigenous Peoples in the Renewable Energy Transition: Protest, Contestation, and the Potential of Improved Deliberation. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2024. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8c230270-34df-4f86-8332-1b12e59749dc/PRIO Policy Brief 04-2024.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hobi |first1=Anna-Sophie |last2=McNeish |first2=John-Andrew |title=Indigenous Peoples in the Renewable Energy Transition: Protest, Contestation, and the Potential of Improved Deliberation |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=April 2024 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8c230270-34df-4f86-8332-1b12e59749dc/PRIO Policy Brief 04-2024.pdf?inline=true |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hobi2024indigenous, author = {Hobi, Anna-Sophie and McNeish, John-Andrew}, title = {{Indigenous Peoples in the Renewable Energy Transition: Protest, Contestation, and the Potential of Improved Deliberation}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8c230270-34df-4f86-8332-1b12e59749dc/PRIO Policy Brief 04-2024.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }