Is this a just transition?: Indigenous perspectives on critical minerals in the energy transition
| dc.contributor.author | Asaale, Stanislaus Awini | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-11-07T19:57:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-11-07T19:57:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description | Sustainability Scholars Program Final Report | |
| dc.description.abstract | Introduction Background Context: Currently, Indigenous Peoples in Canada are the second-largest asset owners of renewable energy across the country, outside of electricity transmission and distribution utilities (Stephenson, 2023). With immense influence in the clean energy sector due to our unique rights and intimate relationship to the land, Indigenous Peoples are active protagonists guiding the Just Transition in Canada by enacting energy sovereignty through capacity-building, small to large-scale generation projects, and equity ownership for long-term community revenue. With that being said, renewable energy continues to rely on extraction to produce electricity through the mining of critical and rare earth minerals. Most, if not all, of the critical minerals in Canada are located on Indigenous territories. For many Indigenous Peoples, connection to the land and waterways embeds and informs culture, self-identity, community, belief systems, livelihoods, and traditional governance. The territories that are being mined in the name of low-carbon economies and greenhouse gas-reducing projects are the territories that influence every aspect of our lives and identity as Indigenous peoples. Hence, protecting Indigenous lands is not only a measure of sustainability to meet national targets but also a responsibility, aimed at preserving cultural knowledge and values for present-day communities and future generations. After being purposefully excluded from energy leadership in Canada, Indigenous communities are embracing the energy transition as an opportunity to gain autonomy and are actively building and maintaining renewable energy projects, including solar and wind energy initiatives. While there is openness to collaborating with governments, utilities, and mining firms, many Indigenous Peoples are mindful of the adverse impacts of mineral exploration in their communities, and hesitant around potential greenwashing, continued environmental degradation, and violations against the Indigenous right to free, prior, and informed consent. For many communities to approach projects that align with community values and consent, any projects or policies surrounding the energy transition must emphasize relationships through partnerships that affirm and protect Indigenous Peoples' rights, sovereignty, wisdom, and cultural values. As the energy transition intensifies across Canada, we believe it is essential to take a step back and examine this new energy mix with a critical lens - from source to end use. While there is a national and global demand for the energy transition towards a low-carbon economy, we must ensure a Just Transition that will not compromise Indigenous Peoples’ sovereignty, rights, lives and environmental sustainability worldwide. A critical lens will help establish a transition that does not replicate or aggravate the impacts of fossil fuel mining on Indigenous communities. To be sovereign is to be informed, and we must be informed around the evolution of extractivism in the guise of the energy transition within our communities and across our territories. | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Sacred Earth Solar | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22900 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | energy transition | |
| dc.subject | renewable energy | |
| dc.subject | Indigenous governance | |
| dc.subject | critical minerals | |
| dc.subject | low-carbon economy | |
| dc.subject | Sustainability Scholars Program | |
| dc.subject.department | School of Environmental Studies | |
| dc.title | Is this a just transition?: Indigenous perspectives on critical minerals in the energy transition | |
| dc.type | Report |