Ensuring that the Greening Economy is Just for the Land Holders

The session focused on ensuring that the transition to a greener economy is fair and equitable for landholders, particularly Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and other marginalized communities. The discussion centered on the growing demand for land driven by the expansion of renewable energy and the extraction of transition minerals, highlighting the risks these pressures pose to traditional land rights and livelihoods. The first presentation provided an overview of the sectoral demands for renewables and transition minerals, identifying how these industries often overlap with IP and local community (LC) lands, potentially threatening tenure security. This was followed by an exploration of data from a recent Oxfam report, shedding light on historical patterns of exploitation in the mining sector and the critical need for community consent in modern resource extraction. Case studies illustrated both risks and opportunities associated with this green transition. In Argentina, a focus on lithium mining revealed the social and environmental impacts on Indigenous territories, while a study from Kenya discussed how geothermal energy projects could strain local lands if not managed inclusively. The dialogue emphasized the importance of adhering to international standards for land-based investments, highlighting the roles of governments, developers, and financiers in safeguarding the rights of affected communities. Discussions reinforced the necessity of securing clear rights regimes, ensuring meaningful participation, implementing Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and establishing fair benefit-sharing mechanisms. Participants engaged in group discussions to develop guiding principles and identify best practices for balancing the needs of a growing green economy with the rights of traditional landholders. The session emphasized that a just transition requires robust policies that uphold land rights, recognize community consent, and guarantee fair outcomes for those most affected by environmental and economic shifts, ensuring that the green economy advances with social integrity and respect for land rights.


This resource has been made available by the organizers of the World Bank Land Conference under the following disclaimer.