Climate Change and the Green Transition: Double Burden for Indigenous Sámi Reindeer Herding Communities

This article presents a case study examining climate injustices faced by Indigenous Sámi reindeer herding communities in Sweden, within the context of climate change and the green transition. Drawing from critical discourse analysis, the study identifies four key patterns of injustice: (1) Swedish public authorities do not fully recognize the disproportionate effects of climate change on the Sámi population; (2) the cumulative effects of being negatively impacted by both climate change and the green transition create a double burden that is insufficiently addressed by authorities and companies, which risk hindering Indigenous rights by threatening traditional practices (3) current consultation mechanisms are inadequate for meaningfully influencing land management issues, as consultations mainly involve information exchange; and (4) the traditional Sámi knowledge, Árbediethu, passed down through generations, is often downplayed in institutional settings, where seemingly just processes can lead to unjust outcomes. The green transition's parallels with the historical colonization of Sápmi have led scholars and Sámi actors to describe it as a new form of colonialism. The study concludes that achieving Indigenous climate justice requires prioritizing Sámi rights, leveraging Indigenous knowledge, and expanding the focus beyond solely emission reduction to foster sustainable societies that address power imbalances and systemic injustices.