From 13 to 15 May, members of the Latin American Community of Action Group on Hydrogen met in Santiago, Chile, to share experiences, strengthen ties and develop joint strategies in response to the expansion of green hydrogen projects in the region and to advocate for a just energy transition.
The meeting, organised as part of the Community Resource Exchange (CRE) programme of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, brought together representatives from organisations and communities in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay who face similar challenges in the face of the advance of megaprojects promoted as part of the so-called energy transition.
Although local contexts vary, the discussions highlighted common patterns: projects driven by interests external to the territories, significant information asymmetries, promises of employment and development that often fail to materialise, and growing concern over the social, environmental and cultural impacts associated with these initiatives.
Identifying shared trends
One of the main objectives of the meeting was to deepen the exchange of experiences in order to understand how the different manifestations of this new wave of extraction respond to similar structural dynamics.
Participants analysed the role played by multilateral development banks and other international financial actors in promoting green hydrogen projects, as well as the influence of governments, companies and countries in the Global North in shaping this new energy frontier.
The discussions highlighted the need to strengthen a regional perspective. As several participants pointed out, these cases cannot be understood as isolated conflicts. There is a shared logic that seeks to present green hydrogen as an unquestionable climate solution, whilst minimising or obscuring its territorial costs.
In this regard, the need to build a Latin American narrative capable of connecting the experiences of affected communities and demonstrating that the energy transition cannot reproduce historical relations of inequality, dependency and territorial sacrifice emerged strongly.
Learning from strategies that are already working
On the second day of the meeting, organisations shared tools and strategies developed in their territories.
From Magallanes, in the southernmost tip of Chile, members of the Feminist Coordination for Patagonia presented the work they have been promoting under the slogan “Patagonia is already green”, a narrative that challenges the idea that territories need to be transformed by industry to contribute to climate action.
Participants shared experiences of popular education, work with schools, communication campaigns, citizen monitoring, engagement with the media, and the building of alliances with academics, journalists, public officials and social organisations.
Methodologies for documenting risks and impacts were also discussed with Dalile, from the Defenders in Development campaign. The session addressed key aspects such as setting clear objectives, identifying and verifying information, data protection and risk prevention for communities. Participants reflected on the challenge of documenting potential impacts of hydrogen projects that have not yet materialised, highlighting the importance of documentation as a tool for prevention, advocacy and the strengthening of territorial struggles.
There was discussion on systematising technical information and translating complex content into accessible language. Several organisations agreed that one of the most effective strategies has been to bring specialised information closer to people through concrete examples linked to everyday life.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on the limitations of some traditional forms of advocacy. Among the challenges identified were an excessive reliance on institutional channels, difficulties in maintaining permanent spokespersons, and the need to expand alliances beyond the usual environmentalist circles.
Feminism, collective care and territorial defence
A recurring theme in the discussions was the importance of incorporating feminist and gender perspectives into the analysis of the projects’ impacts.
Participants shared research and experiences showing how extractive industries transform the social dynamics of territories, exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and have differential impacts on women, people of diverse identities, children and older people.
There was also discussion on how the masculinisation of certain territories and economic activities can contribute to the reproduction of various forms of violence, which are often overlooked in official project evaluations.
At the same time, the meeting reaffirmed the importance of recognising the situated knowledge of communities. Several participants emphasised that one does not need to be a specialist to identify and denounce changes that directly affect territories, ways of life and community relations.
In light of the burnout many defenders and social organisations are experiencing, the group reflected on the need to build sustainable movements that do not perpetuate dynamics of overload, isolation or competition.
Thanks to our colleagues at the ACUE Foundation, we also created a space for collective care and connection with our emotions. Through a practice inspired by the Japanese art of Jin Shin Jyutsu, we took a moment to acknowledge the emotions we carry and that reside within our bodies. This technique suggests that by holding, massaging or gently pressing different fingers, it is possible to facilitate the release of accumulated emotions and promote greater physical and emotional balance.
Strengthening narratives to challenge the meaning of the transition
The third day was devoted to a narrative workshop. Through audience mapping exercises and narrative analysis, participants explored the main narratives used to promote green hydrogen projects: promises of economic development, job creation, technological modernisation and climate leadership.
In response to these discourses, the group identified opportunities to build alternative narratives centred on the defence of territories, food sovereignty, the sustainability of life and the right of communities to decide their own futures.
One of the central focuses was the importance of communicating not only the impacts of the projects, but also the alternatives that already exist within the territories. Experiences linked to agroecology, community exchange, the recovery of local knowledge and other forms of economic organisation emerged as concrete examples of models that prioritise collective well-being over extraction and accumulation.
The workshop also provided a space to imagine other ways of telling the stories of our territories. Through symbols and collective histories, the octopus, maize, the wind and the capybara emerged: representations of ecosystems, memories, ways of life and community ties that cannot be reduced to commodities or sacrifice zones.
Towards a common regional agenda
At the close of the meeting, the organisations agreed to continue strengthening regional exchange and to develop shared tools for documenting impacts, constructing narratives and advocating with financial and political actors.
Among the priorities identified are the development of common messages, monitoring regional industry trends, analysing the role of international actors driving these projects, and strengthening solidarity networks among affected communities.
Beyond the specific agreements, participants highlighted the value of the meeting as a space for trust, mutual learning and collective action.
In a context where the expansion of green hydrogen is increasingly presented as an inevitable response to the climate crisis, this meeting reaffirmed the need for communities to be able to participate in an informed manner in decisions affecting their territories, and for the energy transition to be guided by social justice, human rights and the sustainability of life.
Check out the LAC Green Hydrogen Community of Action page.