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A Fast and Fair Energy Transition: How Community Legal Action and New Legislation are Shaping the Global Shift to Renewable Energy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2023

Elodie Aba Open the ORCID record for Elodie Aba [Opens in a new window]
Elodie Aba*
Affiliation:
Senior Legal Researcher, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
*
Email: aba@business-humanrights.org
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Abstract

Legal action by communities affected by climate change against high carbon corporate emitters is on the rise. At the same time, with the acceleration of a transition to a net-zero carbon economy, communities impacted by the implementation and operation of renewable energy projects are increasingly challenging shortcomings in the shift to renewable energy through ‘just transition litigation’. This strategy aims to ensure that respect for human rights is at the heart of the new energy paradigm, and that human rights abuses by the fossil fuel and mining sectors are not replicated. Progressive legislative reforms may also contribute to ensuring a fast and fair transition. This article examines how legal action and legislation may provide communities and rights-holders with pathways to climate justice – and sheds light on the need for a rights-centred approach by corporate actors and governments to the new energy transition.

Keywords

climate justiceclimate litigationjust transitionlegal accountabilityrenewable energy
Type
Developments in the Field
Information
Business and Human Rights Journal , Volume 8 , Issue 2: Special Issue: Beyond human rights due diligence: What else do we need? , June 2023 , pp. 252 - 258
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

1 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘Transition Minerals Tracker’, https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/transition-minerals-tracker/ (accessed 3 March 2023).

2 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark’, https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/briefings/renewable-energy-human-rights-benchmark/ (accessed 24 March 2023).

3 Mary Robinson, ‘Climate Justice’, United Nations Blog (31 May 2019), https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/climate-justice/ (accessed 3 March 2023).

4 Savaresi, Annalisa and Setzer, Joana, ‘Rights-Based Litigation in the Climate Emergency: Mapping the Landscape and New Knowledge Frontiers’ (2022) 13:1 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment 7 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, https://www.elgaronline.com/view/journals/jhre/13/1/article-p7.xml?tab_body=fulltext (accessed 3 March 2023).

5 Joana Setzer and Catherine Higham, ‘Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation: 2022 Snapshot’, The Grantham Research Institute at LSE (30 June 2022), https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/publication/global-trends-in-climate-change-litigation-2022/ (accessed 3 March 2023).

6 Ibid.

7 Friends of the Earth International, ‘Friends of the Earth Netherlands Submits Legal Summons in Historic Climate Case Against Shell’ (5 April 2019), https://www.foei.org/friends-of-the-earth-netherlands-submits-legal-summons-in-historic-climate-case-against-shell/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

8 Daniel Boffey, ‘Court Orders Royal Dutch Shell to Cut Carbon Emissions by 45% by 2030’, The Guardian (26 May 2021), https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/may/26/court-orders-royal-dutch-shell-to-cut-carbon-emissions-by-45-by-2030 (accessed 6 March 2023).

9 Ibid.

10 Friends of the Earth, ‘Historic Victory: Judge Forces Shell to Drastically Reduce CO2 Emissions’ (26 May 2021), https://www.foei.org/historic-victory-judge-forces-shell-to-drastically-reduce-co2-emissions/ (accessed 6 March 2023).

11 Isabella Kaminski, ‘Why 2023 Will be a Watershed Year for Climate Litigation’, The Guardian (4 January 2023), https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/04/why-2023-will-be-a-watershed-year-for-climate-litigation (accessed 30 March 2023).

12 Friends of the Earth International, ‘Four Indonesians File Climate Litigation Against Holcim’ (1 February 2023), https://www.foei.org/climate-litigation-against-holcim/ (accessed 6 March 2023).

13 Ibid.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

16 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘RWE Lawsuit (re Climate Change)’, https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/rwe-lawsuit-re-climate-change/ (accessed 6 March 2023).

17 Oxfam International, ‘French NGOs take BNP Paribas to Court in World’s First Climate Lawsuit Against a Commercial Bank’ (23 February 2023), https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/french-ngos-take-bnp-paribas-court-worlds-first-climate-lawsuit-against-commercial (accessed 20 March 2023).

18 Annalisa Saversi and Joana Setzer, ‘A First Global Mapping of Rights-Based Climate Litigation Reveals a Need to Explore Just Transition Cases in More Depth’, Grantham Research Institute (29 March 2022), https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/a-first-global-mapping-of-rights-based-climate-litigation-reveals-a-need-to-explore-just-transition-cases-in-more-depth/ (accessed 21 March 2023).

19 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, note 2.

20 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, note 1.

21 Savaresi, Annalisa and Setzer, Joana, ‘Rights-Based Litigation in the Climate Emergency: Mapping the Landscape and New Knowledge Frontiers’ (2022) 13:1 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment 7 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, https://www.elgaronline.com/view/journals/jhre/13/1/article-p7.xml?tab_body=fulltext (accessed 3 March 2023).

22 AFP, ‘Norway Court Rules Two Windfarms Harming Sami Reindeer Herders’, The Guardian (11 October 2021), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/11/norway-court-rules-two-windfarms-harming-sami-reindeer-herders-turbines-torn-down (accessed 24 March 2023).

23 Supreme Court of Norway, ‘Licences for Wind Power Development on Fosen Ruled Invalid as the Construction Violates Sami Reindeer Herders’ Right to Enjoy their own Culture’ (11 October 2021), https://www.domstol.no/en/supremecourt/rulings/2021/supreme-court-civil-cases/hr-2021-1975-s/ (accessed 30 March 2023).

24 Victoria Klesty and Nora Buli, ‘Sami Protesters, Greta Thunberg, End Demonstrations Against Wind Turbines’ (3 March 2023), Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/sami-protesters-greta-thunberg-end-demonstrations-against-wind-turbines-2023-03-03/ (accessed 30 March 2023).

25 Jan M Olsen, ‘Norway’s Leader Meets Indigenous Sami as Protests End’ (3 March 2023), AP, https://apnews.com/article/norway-protest-wind-farm-sami-reindeer-25fed73e79b5ce9aff8eef9d53af7dc8 (accessed 24 March 2023).

26 Tom Azzopardi, ‘Mexico Cancels Contract with Controversial EDF Wind Farm’, Wind Power Monthly (7 June 2022), https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1788903/mexico-cancels-contract-controversial-edf-wind-farm (accessed 24 March 2023).

27 ProDESC, ‘Setback to EDF in Mexico! The Zapotec Community of Unión Hidalgo and ProDESC Achieve the Definitive Cancellation of the Wind Park Megaproject Gunaa Sicarú’ (2 June 2022), https://prodesc.org.mx/en/set-back-to-edf-in-mexico-the-zapotec-community-of-union-hidalgo-and-prodesc-achieve-the-definitive-cancellation-of-the-wind-park-megaproject-gunaa-sicaru/ (accessed 31 March 2023).

28 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘Fast and Fair Renewable Energy for Africa: Lessons from Kenya’ (14 June 2022), https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/briefings/fast-and-fair-renewable-energy-for-africa-lessons-from-kenya/ (accessed 24 March 2023).

29 IWGIA, ‘The Cost of Ignoring Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples’ (10 November 2021), https://www.iwgia.org/en/news/4562-the-cost-of-ignoring-human-rights-and-indigenous-peoples.html (accessed 24 March 2023).

30 Ibid.

31 Ibid. See also IWGIA, ‘Kenya: The Impact of Renewable Energy Projects on Indigenous Communities in Kenya. The Cases of the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project and the Olkaria Geothermal Power Plants. IWGIA Report 28’ (16 December 2019), https://www.iwgia.org/en/resources/publications/3535-the-impact-of-renewable-energy-project-on-indigenous-communities-in-kenya.html (accessed 30 March 2023).

32 See more details on a lithium mine case in the US here: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/usa-construction-begins-on-lithium-mine-after-appeals-court-rejects-request-for-emergency-injunction/ (accessed 30 March 2023).

33 Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone, ‘Parliament Passes Mines and Development Act 2022’ (9 August 2022), https://www.parliament.gov.sl/uploads/press_release/pdf/PARLIAMENT%20PASSES%20MINES%20AND%20MINERAL%20DEVELOPMENT%20ACT%202022%20-%209th%20AUGUST,%202022.pdf (accessed 20 March 2023)

34 Ibid.

35 For more information, see Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘Sierra Leone Enacts Unprecedented Laws Requiring Explicit Community Consent, Land Rights for Women, and Strong Environmental Protection’, https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/sierra-leone-enacts-unprecedented-laws-requiring-explicit-community-consent-land-rights-for-women-and-strong-environmental-protection/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

36 Namati, ‘Sierra Leone Passes Globally Unprecedented Legislation Related to Climate and the Environment’ (8 August 2022), https://namati.org/news-stories/sierra-leone-passes-globally-unprecedented-legislation-on-climate-environment/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

37 Duty of Vigilance Law 2017 (France), https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000034290626/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

38 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘Total Lawsuit (re Failure to Respect French Duty of Vigilance Law in Operations in Uganda)’, https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/total-lawsuit-re-failure-to-respect-french-duty-of-vigilance-law-in-operations-in-uganda/ (accessed 31 March 2023). In 2021, France’s Supreme Court rejected the jurisdiction of the commercial courts and recognized the jurisdiction of the civil court. In February 2023, the court dismissed the case and said it was ‘inadmissible’ on procedural grounds. The plaintiffs can appeal the decision.

39 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ‘TotalEnergies Lawsuit (re Climate Change, France)’, https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/total-lawsuit-re-climate-change-france/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

40 Notre Affaire à Tous, ‘Climate Change: Paris and New York Join the Legal Action Against TotalEnergies’ (21 September 2022), https://notreaffaireatous.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Total-case-press-release.docx-1.pdf (accessed 20 March 2023).

41 Friends of the Earth France, Notre Affaire à Tous and Oxfam France, ‘French NGOs take BNP Paribas to Court in World’s First Climate Lawsuit Against a Commercial Bank’ (23 February 2023), https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/french-ngos-take-bnp-paribas-court-worlds-first-climate-lawsuit-against-commercial (accessed 20 March 2023).

42 Ibid.

43 See here for additional updates on the process: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/eu-commissioner-for-justice-commits-to-legislation-on-mandatory-due-diligence-for-companies/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

44 European Commission, ‘Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and Annex’ (23 February 2022), https://commission.europa.eu/publications/proposal-directive-corporate-sustainability-due-diligence-and-annex_en (accessed 20 March 2023).

45 Civil society statement on the proposed EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (May 2022), https://media.business-humanrights.org/media/documents/CSO_statement_CSDDD_EN_bpByp6L.pdf (accessed 20 March 2023).

46 See here for more details: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/big-issues/binding-treaty/ (accessed 20 March 2023).

47 Human Rights Council, ‘Text of the Third Revised Draft Legally Binding Instrument’, A/HRC/52/41/ADD.1 (23 January 2023), https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2FHRC%2F52%2F41%2Fadd.1&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop&LangRequested=False (accessed 20 March 2023).

48 Damian Carrington, ‘Shell Directors Personally Sued Over “Flawed” Climate Strategy’, The Guardian (9 February 2023), https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/09/shell-directors-personally-sued-over-flawed-climate-strategy (accessed 20 March 2023).