The world is racing to address the climate crisis through the expansion of renewable energy and the extraction of critical minerals needed to power it. While the energy transition away from fossil fuels is both necessary and urgent, its implementation is increasingly placing new pressures on Indigenous Peoples’ lands, territories, and resources. Across many regions, Indigenous territories are becoming the new frontier for mining, energy infrastructure, and other so-called green investments.
Perhaps the greatest contradiction of the energy transition is that the peoples who have contributed least to the climate crisis and done the most to protect nature are now facing increasing threats from the very solutions intended to address it. Across Latin America and other regions, the rapid expansion of transition mineral mining and large-scale energy projects is resulting in land conflicts, environmental degradation, displacement, cultural loss, and attacks against Indigenous Peoples defending their rights and territories. Too often, these projects proceed without respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights to self-determination, lands and resources, and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
This report highlights both the challenges and the alternatives. It documents the impacts of energy transition projects on Indigenous Peoples while also demonstrating their leadership in advancing solutions grounded in rights, self-determination, and sustainability. The experiences presented here remind us that Indigenous Peoples are not obstacles to climate action. They are indispensable partners in achieving it.
