Together with the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), we have joined efforts to contribute to climate justice—particularly for communities that have been historically and structurally marginalized—through collective knowledge-building, capacity development, and advocacy for stronger public policies and regulations on community equity and benefit-sharing in the wind energy sector.
In a Just Transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, there is significant potential for both economic empowerment and ensuring access to clean and affordable energy for these communities. However, there is also a serious risk of deepening their marginalization—both in energy production sites and in mineral extraction—through the continuation of exploitative practices rooted in the extractive sector over recent decades. Land and ocean appropriation and the inadequate implementation of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) are already being observed in Colombia, Honduras, and beyond, as part of the “green rush” to launch wind energy projects.
On the threshold of exponential growth in the coming decades, the renewable energy sector—across its entire value chain, from energy production to the supply of raw materials—urgently requires responsible business frameworks, standards, and regulations that align with international human rights and environmental norms. Representatives of Indigenous and marginalized communities must consistently have a seat at the table alongside major energy companies, corporate energy buyers, investors, and regulators, advocating for stronger FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent) processes, enhanced human rights due diligence (HRDD), and the inclusion of fair benefit-sharing agreements. Just renewable energy must also move beyond financial compensation paid to affected communities and toward genuine dialogue and partnership. This project aims to make a substantial contribution to this essential aspect of climate justice—particularly within the wind energy sector—through capacity building and the development of a targeted collective advocacy agenda designed to influence licensing processes and investor due diligence requirements.
Build capacity with Indigenous communities located in areas impacted by wind energy development.
Develop momentum around a collective advocacy agenda on “Just Wind Energy.”
Strengthen regulations and requirements to ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits.
For this particular case, we are focusing our efforts on Colombia’s Caribbean coast—specifically in the department of La Guajira. We place special emphasis on the municipalities of Uribia and Maicao, which host the highest concentration of wind energy projects in the country, with approximately 60 projects at various stages of environmental licensing. Due to its wind potential, La Guajira has become a critical hub for the sector and has triggered a range of community responses—from optimism about investment in the region to high levels of social conflict, particularly among Wayuu communities, stemming from agreements or disagreements related to FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent) processes.
In this context, CREER is committed to working hand in hand with local communities to strengthen existing capacities, contribute to collective knowledge-building, support peaceful conflict resolution, and promote informed, multi-stakeholder dialogue that is symmetrical and conducive to reaching agreements. Through this project, we will focus on working collaboratively with Wayuu Indigenous communities, women, ancestral authorities, FPIC advisors, youth, and other local actors to identify key information needs related to wind energy—and explore how these can be addressed through an intercultural and territorially grounded approach.
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Report from the meeting with workers and trade unions
Testimony from workers and trade unions
The rapid expansion of critical minerals for the energy transition and other strategic industries (agriculture, defense, technology) presents us with a paradox: the decarbonization of the planet depends on an intensification of mining activity. For CREER, this rapid expansion carries critical risks regarding human rights, local economic dynamics, and ecosystem balance. Our work focuses on analyzing these dilemmas through the lens of a just transition, promoting governance frameworks that mitigate negative impacts and ensure that the mining of “minerals for the future” is carried out under rigorous standards of sustainability, equity, and respect for fundamental rights, through dialogue among different stakeholders.
We analyze the governance and sustainability challenges that arise in the implementation of decentralized generation models. Our work focuses on researching how local associative structures interact with regulatory frameworks and human rights standards. Through applied research, we assess the risks of rent capture, internal decision-making conflicts, and the conditions necessary for these self-management schemes to guarantee equitable and transparent participation in the territory.
With a focus on responsible land management and respect for local livelihoods, at CREER we apply our technical expertise in the photovoltaic sector to promote a solar transition with social integrity. Through the analysis of rural environments, the strengthening of local governance, and the design of participation mechanisms, we seek to ensure that large-scale deployment in Latin America not only contributes to the energy mix, but also strengthens the social fabric. Our purpose is to lead due diligence models that ensure solar infrastructure coexists with food security, strategic ecosystems, and the productive vocations of each community.
