Renewables and reconciliation: Decolonizing climate policies for a just transition to a low-carbon future

This exploratory research paper sets out to unpack the misalignment between provincial climate policies and legislated commitments to reconciliation, the meaning of a just transition to a low-carbon future, and how Indigenous clean energy projects and proponents are, and ought to be recognized as, leaders in this transition. By conducting a comprehensive literature review and a series of semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of the Hupačasath First Nation and the Port Alberni municipal government, the data collected was used to assess the key priorities and interests outlined in CleanBC and the Roadmap to 2030. Key themes that emerged through the interviews revolved around opportunity, regionalizing power, and decolonizing power. As the following research paper will outline, existing provincial climate policies and strategies fail to recognize the growing momentum of Indigenous clean energy projects as climate solutions. By challenging existing state-driven climate futures and looking to Indigenous leadership and expertise, the findings of this research aim to promote meaningful policy changes that fulfill commitments to both climate action and reconciliation, as outlined in the British Columbia (BC) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) passed in 2019.