Left behind: A critical assessment of gender equity in Project Nujio'qonik's environmental impact statement in the context of Newfoundland's wind-to-hydrogen industry

A just energy transition away from fossil fuels requires not only technological solutions but socio-cultural changes to facilitate greater equity. This article examines tensions around gender equity and inclusion within the low-carbon transition using Project Nujio'qonik in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, a large-scale wind-to-green hydrogen development (released from environmental assessments in 2023). At the time, the proponent, World Energy GH2, sought to be Canada's first commercial wind-to-green hydrogen producer with the construction over 300 wind turbines in rural communities on Newfoundland's west coast to power a green hydrogen and ammonia plant, geared for European markets. If the development proceeds, the vast scale of the project has the capacity to dramatically reshape the economic, social, environmental, and energy landscapes of Newfoundland's west coast, with significant implications for gender equity. Using a mixed-methods approach integrating frequency analysis and content analysis, we analyzed how World Energy GH2's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addresses gender equity and inclusion in its anticipated impacts and mitigation measures. Our findings highlight a notable lack of meaningful attention to the proposed project's gendered impacts on women residing in nearby communities as well as a lack of equitable distribution of benefits. The study demonstrates a profound disconnect between the language of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) used by the proponent and provincial government and the material steps needed to enact gender equity within this green energy sector. We conclude that without policy interventions to enact distributive and procedural justice, women are at risk of being left behind in the province's low-carbon energy transition. • Project Nujio'qonik aimed to be the first wind-to-hydrogen development in Newfoundland and Labrador, and, possibly, Canada. • Its Environmental Impact Statement lacks information about gendered impacts and barriers. • Without policy changes, women will not benefit equally from this energy development. • The wind-to-hydrogen industry must center gender equity to create a just transition.