Fallstudie av LKAB:s ansökta Per Geijer-projekt och risker för Gabna sameby

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the risks posed by LKAB's proposed Per Geijer mining project to the Gabna sameby. The study introduces a new human rights impact assessment (HRIA) methodology specifically adapted for Sami reindeer husbandry to evaluate how industrial projects affect indigenous rights to land and culture.

• The proposed Per Geijer project by the state-owned mining company LKAB is assessed as posing a significant risk of violating Sami rights, specifically regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The study concludes that the project would cause 'large or serious impact' across all six central conditions required to ensure the collective rights of the Gabna sameby to land and culture, including splitting the community's last remaining contiguous grazing lands.
• The researchers identified a critical lack of transparency regarding the project's status as a 'strategic project' under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. LKAB did not share information with the affected sameby, and requests to the European Commission for access to the application were denied, highlighting governance issues in the assessment process for strategic projects.
• The study developed a new HRIA methodology for industrial projects on traditional Sami lands, conducted between June 2024 and December 2025. This method emphasizes the right to real influence, cultural adaptation, and a holistic view of cumulative land loss. It utilizes a matrix framework where the affected indigenous community defines their own culture and essential values, rather than relying on the developer's perspective.
• The analysis suggests that the Gabna sameby's right to consultation and influence was likely ignored in the Per Geijer case. Consequently, the researchers argue that explicit consent from the sameby is a prerequisite for the project to be permissible under indigenous law, and they deem LKAB's proposed mitigation measures insufficient to protect the community's rights.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2026). Fallstudie av LKAB:s ansökta Per Geijer-projekt och risker för Gabna sameby. https://www.sei.org/publications/risker-urfolks-rattigheter-renskotselomradet-gruvprojekt/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Fallstudie av LKAB:s ansökta Per Geijer-projekt och risker för Gabna sameby. 2026. https://www.sei.org/publications/risker-urfolks-rattigheter-renskotselomradet-gruvprojekt/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Fallstudie av LKAB:s ansökta Per Geijer-projekt och risker för Gabna sameby |date=15 April 2026 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/risker-urfolks-rattigheter-renskotselomradet-gruvprojekt/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2026fallstudie, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Fallstudie av LKAB:s ansökta Per Geijer-projekt och risker för Gabna sameby}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/risker-urfolks-rattigheter-renskotselomradet-gruvprojekt/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }