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Green but Not Just: Wind Power and Environmental Injustice in Sápmi
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Human Geography.
2026 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

This thesis examines the Markbygden wind farm, the largest onshore wind farm in Europe, located in Piteå, Sweden, within Sápmi, which is the traditional territory of Sámi, Europe's only recognised Indigenous people. As Sweden pursues ambitious climate targets, large-scale renewable energy infrastructure is increasingly developed on Indigenous land, raising fundamental questions about environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and the social sustainability of the green transition. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of political ecology and environmental justice, the study addresses the following research question: How do stakeholder interpretations of the Markbygden wind farm reveal and reproduce socio-environmental injustices affecting Sámi communities? To answer this question, six semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including developers and municipal actors, while Sámi perspectives were further synthesised through secondary data sources. Through a political ecology lens, the study interrogates how conflicting stakeholder interests reflect and reinforce broader inequalities in land governance and decision-making. The findings reveal that the Markbygden wind farm reproduces significant procedural, legislative, and recognitional injustices toward Indigenous Sámi communities, highlighting the unequal socio-environmental impacts embedded within the transition to renewable energy. This thesis argues that green energy transitions cannot be considered socially sustainable unless Indigenous rights, recognition, and participation are meaningfully incorporated into decision-making processes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. , p. 61
National Category
Human Geography
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-255961OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-255961DiVA, id: diva2:2063488
Supervisors
Available from: 2026-06-30 Created: 2026-05-29 Last updated: 2026-06-30Bibliographically approved

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