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Short Abstract

The paper explores the possibilities of the Saami indigenous peoples to participate in projects promoted under the green and just transition. Current legal frameworks fail to guarantee the participation of the Saami and thus also fail to recognize their economic-cultural ways of life.

Abstract

The Finnish Arctic is changing rapidly as climate change progresses. Simultaneously, it is subject to increased geopolitical and economic interest due to its natural resources needed for the sustainability transition. Against this context, the presentation critically explores the possibilities of the Saami indigenous peoples to participate in the transition. As shown by the recent decision of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concerning Finland, mining and Saami reindeer herding, current Finnish and international legal frameworks fail to guarantee the participation of the Saami in the projects that are promoted under the transition. In doing so, they fail to account for their interests as indigenous peoples. This failure to recognize the particularities of Saami economic-cultural ways of life questions the justice of the green transition and undermines citizen trust towards authorities in Northern Finland. It also highlights the center-periphery tension between the decision makers and the people in the north.