This chapter explores how renewable energy companies and their investors are implicated in projects that violate Indigenous peoples’ rights. Although clean investments are crucial for ensuring access to affordable and clean energy (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7) and for taking action against climate change (SDG 13), such activities may be in conflict with Indigenous peoples’ participatory rights (SDG 16). Using a case study approach, this chapter examines three wind farm projects on Indigenous peoples’ lands: Fosen in Norway, Lake Turkana in Kenya and Gunaa Sicarú in Mexico. The chapter demonstrates the extent to which the companies involved in the projects are violating Indigenous peoples’ right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and explores the legal implications of the violations for investors. More particularly, this chapter looks at how court cases or other complaints by Indigenous people address investor involvement in the violations. The recurrent themes in clean energy projects seem to be the significant impact they have on Indigenous people as well as inadequate acquisition of FPIC or insufficient consultation with the Indigenous communities affected by those projects.

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Clean Energy Investments and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: Sustainability Issues in Wind Farm Projects

  • Tuija von der Pütten

摘要

This chapter explores how renewable energy companies and their investors are implicated in projects that violate Indigenous peoples’ rights. Although clean investments are crucial for ensuring access to affordable and clean energy (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7) and for taking action against climate change (SDG 13), such activities may be in conflict with Indigenous peoples’ participatory rights (SDG 16). Using a case study approach, this chapter examines three wind farm projects on Indigenous peoples’ lands: Fosen in Norway, Lake Turkana in Kenya and Gunaa Sicarú in Mexico. The chapter demonstrates the extent to which the companies involved in the projects are violating Indigenous peoples’ right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and explores the legal implications of the violations for investors. More particularly, this chapter looks at how court cases or other complaints by Indigenous people address investor involvement in the violations. The recurrent themes in clean energy projects seem to be the significant impact they have on Indigenous people as well as inadequate acquisition of FPIC or insufficient consultation with the Indigenous communities affected by those projects.