A community-led approach to the just energy transition
Indigenous peoples and local communities safeguard forests, rivers, and generations of ecological knowledge. Although they are the least responsible for the climate crisis, they are the first to suffer the consequences of climate change and the impacts of large-scale renewable energy projects and false solutions.
Despite the promises of prosperity and sustainability, the just energy transition is being used as a smokescreen to keep pursuing a neoliberal and extractivist approach, which is driving a new mining boom across the Global South and large-scale renewable energy projects that are:
- being imposed without the consent of local communities and Indigenous Peoples;
- grabbing land and resources;
- polluting and degrading their ecosystems;
- disrupting their livelihoods and reducing their territories to sacrifice zones.
- fast-tracked and approved with weakened safeguards.
Often, rather than tackling the root causes of climate change, these projects are ending up exacerbating existing problems. Moreover, many communities hosting these projects continue to lack access to safe and sustainable energy.
Public development banks are one of they key actors of the just energy transition: in 2025 alone, they provided a record $137 billion in climate finance.
Our climate justice work
Our members and partners are calling for a community-led approach to the just energy transition and economic transformation, that recognizes communities as key decision-makers — with women and Indigenous Peoples at the forefront — and places their knowledge and priorities at the center of global energy policies. To advance a community-led approach to the just energy transition, we are focusing on these three strategies:
Community-led development
We support communities to resist harmful development projects and build community-led alternatives by:
- Connecting with allies and resources
- Facilitating learning exchanges between communities
- Accessing small grants
- Organising collective action
- Amplifying their voices
Movement-building and advocacy
We bring communities together to influence development banks and global forums, pushing for:
- Stronger safeguards
- Transparent accountability
- Ecosystem protection
- Better livelihoods and community-defined solutions
Protecting civic space
We support land and environmental defenders by:
- Responding to threats and reprisals
- Providing case support
- Coordinating collective advocacy
- Documenting abuses and holding financiers accountable
Stories and updates
The Extractivist Cause Behind the Energy Transition is a Feminist Cause
Energy Autonomy in Chiapas, Mexico
Women Defenders Confronting Extractivism: Fighting Against an Unjust Energy Model and the Depletion of Life on the Planet
How renewable projects in Kenya are replicating the same mistakes of the fossil fuel industry
Rogun dam: how development banks are ignoring violations of civic freedoms in Tajikistan
Azerbaijan: criminalization of anti-corruption activist Gubad Ibadoghlu
Criminalization of climate leaders in Vietnam
From Nigeria to Uganda, oil-affected communities are standing up for climate justice
A Tale of a Defender in Development
LAC Just Energy Transition Working Group meets in Colombia
How communities in Georgia are standing up against mining companies and making some wins
World Bank’s 80 year legacy of harm
Kenya: resisting forced evictions in the context of oil and conservation projects
Philippines: the fierce resistance to stop the Kaliwa dam
Communities in the Salar of Hombre Muerto celebrate Argentine court’s ruling to suspend new lithium mining permits
Too good to be true:the true cost ofgreen hydrogen in Chile
Reading list
- “The MDBs’ growing role in climate finance: All that glitters is not gold” (2025) Recourse
- “A safe pair of hands? How the multilateral development banks fail to live up to expectations on climate finance” (2024) Recourse
- Explainer: What’s climate justice?“, Friends of the Earth
- “The Planet is Burning and Communities Worldwide are calling for justice” (2025) CHRD
- “Grounded Transitions: Closing the Gap Between G20 Priorities and the Realities of Critical Mineral-Affected Communities” (2025) CHRD
- “How communities in sacrifice zones suffer environmental injustices in Mexico, Chile, Nigeria and Indonesia” (2025) Mongabay
- “The Missing “Just” in Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP)” (2024) International Rivers and Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition
- “Natural Resources and Just Energy Transition” [see in particular: Just energy transition principles for human rights in business and investment; “From mining to renewable energy: lessons learnt from benefit sharing legislation for a just transition in Africa“] Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
- “Just Transition Guide” (2023) Sacred Earth Solar and Indigenous Climate Action
- “Declaration of Indigenous Peoples’ Participants in the Conference on Indigenous Peoples and the Just Transition“ (2024) IPRI.