Editor’s choice
Exploitation of our planet and people has resulted in great inequalities with those who contribute the least to the deterioration of the environment bearing the brunt of its consequences. As the world looks to remedy and adapt to the triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, sustainability transitions are advanced without meaningful inclusion of local populations, despite formal commitments to rights protection, climate justice and development that leaves no one behind.
We provide empirical evidence and decision support to help governments and companies protect and respect human rights, affected social groups to claim their rights and researchers to intervene ethically in complex situations with conflicting values.
Together with our partners, we critically examine the underlying power structures that must be addressed to make decision-making processes transparent and inclusive. Through participatory and action-oriented research, policy dialogues and advisory work we shed light on the multiple and intersecting struggles faced by social groups and facilitate critical interventions to ensure equity and rights are respected.
We focus on Indigenous land use and rights, gender and social justice and equity in climate and water governance.
Indigenous forms of land use and associated land rights are threatened by climate change as well as green transition objectives, globally and in the European North. Working together with reindeer herding communities and Sámi organizations, government agencies and industry – mining, forestry, hydropower and wind energy – we invite to critical dialogues concerning rights and responsibilities. Guided by critical social science and Indigenous scholarship, we seek to enhance mutual understanding in conflicts over land and resources, centering on the needs of those most affected.
Perspective / Explore the diverse impacts of green energy on Latin America's Indigenous communities, beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.
Perspective / The EU faces a dilemma: advance its green transition or uphold the human rights of the Indigenous Sámi community.
Feature / The latest episode of SEI’s Now & Then podcast explores climate justice, green colonialism and just transitions, and what that means for Saami people.
Perspective / I den här bloggtexten undersöker vi hur ett rättighetsbaserat perspektiv på dialog och naturresursförvaltning skulle kunna se ut.
Gender and social justice concerns are intrinsically linked to climate and environmental changes. Through policy-oriented research and strategic engagement at different levels – from communities to policymakers – we seek to better understand gendered and intersectional marginalization and contribute to environmental strategy processes. Our aim is to scrutinize power dynamics through feminist methodologies and frameworks, such as feminist political ecology and feminist standpoint theory.
Perspective / Azerbaijan appointed 28 men and zero women to a key group tasked with organising the upcoming climate summit in the country.
Feature / Gain insight into the gendered impacts of energy transitions and how to address them in this Q&A with SEI Research Associate Laura Del Duca.
Perspective / This perspective explores the environmental attitudes of Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens and considers ways to increase environmental awareness going forward.
Other publication / This systematic evidence synthesis collated evidence on the impact of WASH interventions on GESI outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.
Climate change and its solutions can affect groups and ecosystems differently, depending on overlapping vulnerabilities, power dynamics, and recognition of rights. These differences can often be a point of contention, especially in the context of water resources. We examine issues through equity-centered, rights-based and decolonizing approaches. We also elicit understandings of how climate justice is perceived by those directly concerned. We work together with government agencies, academia and affected industry and civil society representatives.
Other publication / This policy brief recommends a three-step approach to facilitating the consideration of conflict risks in the design of climate change adaptation projects.
Journal article / This article explores how participatory processes initiated by water reforms can better address the needs and interests of marginalized groups.
Journal article / This article provide the first systematic review on the role of trust in water governance.
Project / The project's aim is to explore how to ensure inclusion of Sámi reindeer herding communities in the review of environmental licenses for hydropower.
Project / An empirical investigation of "extraction contracting" between green transition industries and the Indigenous Sámi peoples.
Project / Empowering state officials to meaningfully include Sámi voices in planning and development on Indigenous lands through consultation.
Project / RADISAM investigates Nordic settler colonialism and its impact on present day Indigenous land rights and discrimination against the Sámi.
Project / Green transition has become a catch-all solution, but it's not without its trade-offs and conflicts. We seek to highlight them to ensure a just transition.
Project / Mistra Mineral Governance research project aims to help decision-makers in Sweden and the EU navigate the critical mineral governance landscape.
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