Sámi democratic engagement in the energy transition: advancing justice, legitimacy and participatory governance

The climate transition is urgent, but it must not come at the expense of democratic values or citizens' rights. Currently, major transition projects and measures are being planned in Sápmi (the traditional Sámi territories). These interventions include, for example, new mines for critical raw materials, wind farms, large-scale forestry, and hydropower. At the same time, state regulations and permit processes fail to adequately protect Sámi rights and to ensure opportunities for influence over decisions that significantly affect the Sámi people's lands and way of life. As a result, we are witnessing increasing conflicts and a growing legitimacy crisis for the Nordic states.

For the transition to be green, just, and legitimate, a fundamental shift is needed both structurally and in how communication, planning, and assessment are conducted for individual projects. This requires new mechanisms to ensure that Sámi rights are not violated and that Sámi actors are genuinely enabled to participate in decision-making in their homelands.

From this perspective, the project explores Sámi democratic participation as a prerequisite for a legitimate energy transition in Norway, Sweden, and Finland through four interconnected aims:

1. To develop and articulate the meaning of a "just transition" with Sápmi as the point of departure;
2. To analyze how national permitting processes and the EU’s guidelines for due diligence create conditions for Sámi democratic participation;
3. To explore the need for systemic and structural changes at local, regional, and national levels for a just and legitimate energy transition in Sápmi; and
4. To identify strategies and best practices that enable Sámi democratic participation, justice, and legitimacy in the energy transition in both the short and long term.

Work Package 2 (WP2), where the Swedish team focuses its efforts, will:

a) Investigate the practices of authorities in relation to permitting processes and due diligence as potential arenas for "bottom-up change" in light of shortcomings in national legislation;

b) Map and conduct visioning work around best practices for Sámi participation, together with both Sámi actors and permitting authorities in all three countries;

c) Explore potential opportunities within EU legislation—such as due diligence requirements—as levers for meaningful Sámi participation in the green transition;

d) Develop design principles for a "rights-based dialogue" between Sámi, state, and private actors to support the development of effective and legitimate Sámi participation.