Renewable Energy as a Catalyst for Equity? Integrating Inuit Interests With Nunavik Energy Planning

Antoine Paquet,Myriam Blais,Geneviève Cloutier

doi:10.17645/up.v6i4.4453

Abstract

Nunavik’s residents experience significant social and environmental disruptions due to climate change. These disruptions add to the widespread changes that the Inuit have encountered over the last century—changes that have left this community totally dependent on fossil fuels for heat and power. Over time, Nunavik’s residents have taken control of petroleum resources and their distribution, transforming this energy source into a major regional economic asset. Recently, there has been a transition towards renewable energy technologies (RETs) in Nunavik. However, are these alternative sources of energy appealing to local residents? This article explores the potential of RETs through the lens of procedural and substantive equity in the context of Inuit interests and integrated sustainability. Based on informal discussions with Inuit residents, interviews with stakeholders of the energy transition in Nunavik, and a literature analysis, this article presents two main results: (1) The level of substantive equity depends mainly on the type of RET and on idiosyncrasies between communities, and (2) local governance and procedural equity need to be asserted so that RETs can become true catalysts for equity.

Highlights

Located north of the 55th parallel in the province of Quebec, Canada (Figure 1), Nunavik is home to some 12,000 people, mostly Inuit (Duhaime et al, 2015)
This study aimed to evaluate how equitable renewable energy technologies (RETs) project planning is for Inuit communities
By assessing current and potential energy projects in Nunavik through the lens of procedural and substantive equity, we addressed the unique position of these northern communities and acknowledged the intentions and aspirations of the Inuit residents with respect to their relationship with the land

Summary

Introduction

Located north of the 55th parallel in the province of Quebec, Canada (Figure 1), Nunavik is home to some 12,000 people, mostly Inuit (Duhaime et al, 2015). Like many other circumpolar territories, Nunavik is already experiencing climate change impacts (Larsen et al, 2014) These are on top of the impacts that were caused by a sudden modernization period in the 1900s, during which northern villages developed a strong dependence on fossil fuels for heating and electricity production. Based on informal discussions with Nunavimmiut (Nunavik’s residents) in Kangiqsualujjuaq, interviews with key respondents and on‐site observa‐ tions, our findings show that if the current state of diesel dependence and the associated environmental harms are well understood, Nunavimmiut seem to prefer some RETs more than others These preferences vary between villages, which reinforces the importance of gaining insight into local interests and perspectives in the early stages of energy production projects

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Conclusion