"Comment: Why Indigenous Peoples' rights must be at the heart of the transition to renewables", 18 December 2024

The energy transition towards renewable energy is moving fast, but in many cases, companies are making a fatal mistake: not respecting human rights....

Indigenous Peoples leadership and their rights are key to the energy transition, and respecting both makes good business sense...

A rights-based approach to renewable energy development that respects Indigenous People’s right to self-determination, and free, prior and informed consent, is imperative...

Our recent report “Exploring shared prosperity: Indigenous leadership and partnerships for a just transition” explores cases where Indigenous Peoples have freely decided to pursue these projects. It also examines how fair and equitable benefit sharing with Indigenous Peoples, their equity ownership, and co-management of renewable energy projects, leads to success...

Our report is premised on respect for the Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination and their collective decisions. Yet there are many cases when companies refuse to engage with Indigenous Peoples. What happens in these cases? It’s simple: renewable energy projects, crucial for meeting climate goals, are significantly more likely to fail....

EDF’s Guna Sicaru project in Mexico, was cancelled, and Enel suspended its Windpeshi project in Colombia due to protests by local Indigenous Wayuu communities ...

A rights-based approach, commitment to equitable benefit sharing, and co-ownership of renewable energy projects, are essential in ensuring the transition is not just fast but also fair....