Impacts and place-based approaches to transformative energy justice for First Nations
Date
2025
Authors
Hoicka, Christina E.
Berka, Anna
Chitsaz, Sara
Klym, Kayla
Regier, Adam
Macdonald, Megan
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Abstract
Place-based approaches to renewable energy transitions tailor solutions to specific social, cultural, economic and ecological contexts inherent to particular localities, and have been argued to underpin transformative energy justice outcomes. This co-created study illustrates place-based approaches in First Nations by drawing on semi-structured interviews with knowledge holders in 14 First Nations located across the Province of British Columbia (BC). Interview participants had direct experience with 36 First Nation-led renewable energy projects, sharing their experiences and observations on both the process (community engagement) and outcome (impacts and benefits) dimensions of operational and planned projects. Participating knowledge holders shared overwhelming evidence of a rich diversity of social, political, material, economic, ecological and relational impacts generated from renewable energy projects. Project impacts include a sense of pride and joy, cultural resurgence, ecological benefits, socioeconomic regeneration, and improved infrastructure, all of which support self-determination. Nearly all First Nations projects engaged with their community during the conceptualisation, planning and development of projects. Decisions on how project revenues were allocated to downstream initiatives were critically important in shaping how each Nation reasserts their priorities, worldviews and value through self-determination. Fundamentally, knowledge holders shared that their Nation’s approaches to developing renewable energy projects are place-based. Our study demonstrates the importance of co-creation approaches and the value of semi-structured questions to illustrate the rich impacts. In the broader context of systematic neglect of social, environmental, and justice-oriented values in public policy making, and amidst widespread failure of “decide-announce-defend” approaches to achieving social acceptance for renewable energy projects, this study outlines what distinguishes place-based approaches in practice, and demonstrates how they deliver transformative outcomes for First Nations. The findings suggest that policy, project and resource allocation decisions should consider as broad a range of impacts as the findings indicate. We conclude that embedding place-based approaches in institutional arrangements, policy and project design is critical to provide economic opportunities to First Nations without discrimination under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), alongside meeting BC’s power needs and decarbonisation goals.
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Keywords
place-based approaches, transformative energy justice, renewable energy, First Nations, Indigenous