Harnessing Coastal Wind Energy Responsibly: Community equity and rights

On June 28th 2022, the founding partners of the Ocean and Human Rights Platform, IHRB and the Rafto Foundation are convening a roundtable on 'Harnessing Coastal Wind Energy Responsibly: Community Equity and Rights' as part of the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon from 15:00 to 17:00.

The roundtable will:

• explore the human rights risks and responsibilities for energy companies and financial institutions with particular regard to the impact of coastal wind projects on marginalised communities, including indigenous peoples, youth and human rights defenders.
• explore the need for new kinds of conversations and partnerships between companies and affected communities, exploring issues around consultation, the need for enhanced human rights due diligence by companies and the important question of community equity.

The purpose of the roundtable is to start an on-going dialogue convened by the Ocean and Human Rights Platform between a network of both global and community-owned energy companies, investors and indigenous community organisations to address these critical issues as the 'green rush' for renewable energy projects gathers pace.

Please email frances.house@ihrb.org ASAP to register as numbers are limited to 30 on first come first served basis.

See below the roundtable's speakers and the perspectives they'll be covering.

Speakers

Jasper Lamouelle

CEO of First Kaska (First Nation renewable energy co., Yukon, Canada)  

Indigenous people's perspective: opportunities for economic empowerment, moving beyond the 'compensation model'; what's required for successful indigenous-owned businesses to enter into partnerships with energy majors? Lessons from First Kaska and other community-ownership models in Canada.

Dag Rune Olsen

Rector of The Arctic University, UiT, Tromsø, Norway

Regional perspective: Just Transition in the Arctic – what does this mean for indigenous communities with regard to renewable energy projects? What lessons from the Fosen Vind case in Norway? Effective mitigation measures?

Sigrid Brynestad

Senior Sustainability Advisor, Eksfin (Export Finance Norway)

Financial perspective: how can lenders and investors strengthen their ESG screening with regard to indigenous peoples’ rights and benefits in renewable energy projects; where are the gaps and opportunities in terms of investors using leverage responsibly to promote community benefit and equity?

Tulika Bansal

Senior Advisor, Danish Institute for Human Rights

Renewable Energy and human rights perspective: key points for energy majors and investors to strengthen their human rights due diligence with regard to indigenous community benefit/equity in the context of a just transition? Lessons from other sectors to apply to wind energy? What role do you see for the responsible corporate power purchaser?

Respondents

• Professor Leïla Choukroune, Professor of International Law, University of Portsmouth
• Aaron Smith, Chief Commercial Officer, Principle Power, Portugal
• Sille Stidsen, Development and Human Rights Departmental Director, Danish Institute for Human Rights