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All Australian governments, Federal and State and Territory, have put in place strategies, policies and legislation to facilitate the transition to a renewable future and to support the development of new energy infrastructure. New transmission infrastructure is essential in this transition, and there are significant opportunities for First Nations to benefit from and participate in Australiaʼs new priority transmission infrastructure investments should it be done in accordance with international law, and avoid the hard lessons of recent natural resource and mining negotiations with government, and industry. Certainty, community acceptance and social licence are essential to delivering the transmission infrastructure required to support a rapid renewable energy transition. First Nations people have extensive rights and interests, including Traditional Ownership rights, and hold the cultural knowledge required to ensure the necessary infrastructure is appropriately sited, and that its construction and operation deliver multiple and mutual benefits for communities. With First Nations as genuine partners in projects, these benefits will also flow through to investors. First Nations people also enjoy inherent rights and have mutual obligations to their lands, and waters. Australia can learn from other nations who have acted on the climate challenge before us, to ensure that the transition to a renewable energy future is just, de-risked and that all parties’ interests are aligned early to support investment and timely construction of critical transmission infrastructure. Key outcomes from Europe, United States and Canada transmission and renewable energy transitions are that co-ownership (equity) and strategic participation (free, prior and informed consent) underpin successful transmission infrastructure. Australia can build the transmission infrastructure we all need in the right way, to support our future economy, and climate, while ensuring that this transition creates shared economic prosperity. It will require consistency and benchmarking to ensure that the benefits are equitable for First Nations people.

First Nations and the Clean Energy Transition: Emerging Issues in New Transmission Infrastructure

Resource Key: B456HDRJ

Document Type: Report

Creator:

Author:

  • First Nations Clean Energy Network

Creators Name: {mb_resource_zotero_creatorsname}

Place: Australia

Institution: First Nations Clean Energy Network

Date: December 2023

Language: en

All Australian governments, Federal and State and Territory, have put in place strategies, policies and legislation to facilitate the transition to a renewable future and to support the development of new energy infrastructure. New transmission infrastructure is essential in this transition, and there are significant opportunities for First Nations to benefit from and participate in Australiaʼs new priority transmission infrastructure investments should it be done in accordance with international law, and avoid the hard lessons of recent natural resource and mining negotiations with government, and industry. Certainty, community acceptance and social licence are essential to delivering the transmission infrastructure required to support a rapid renewable energy transition. First Nations people have extensive rights and interests, including Traditional Ownership rights, and hold the cultural knowledge required to ensure the necessary infrastructure is appropriately sited, and that its construction and operation deliver multiple and mutual benefits for communities. With First Nations as genuine partners in projects, these benefits will also flow through to investors. First Nations people also enjoy inherent rights and have mutual obligations to their lands, and waters. Australia can learn from other nations who have acted on the climate challenge before us, to ensure that the transition to a renewable energy future is just, de-risked and that all parties’ interests are aligned early to support investment and timely construction of critical transmission infrastructure. Key outcomes from Europe, United States and Canada transmission and renewable energy transitions are that co-ownership (equity) and strategic participation (free, prior and informed consent) underpin successful transmission infrastructure. Australia can build the transmission infrastructure we all need in the right way, to support our future economy, and climate, while ensuring that this transition creates shared economic prosperity. It will require consistency and benchmarking to ensure that the benefits are equitable for First Nations people.

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