Indigenous People and Just Transition: The Laver Project as a Case Study

This thesis explores Indigenous rights and environmental governance in the context of Sweden’s green transition, focusing on Boliden’s proposed mining project in Laver and its impact on the Semisjaur Njarg Sámi village. Through a case study of Boliden’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in their mining application, the research critically evaluates how Sámi reindeer husbandry and land rights are addressed within the framework of Swedish environmental law and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Using Indigenous Rights Theory and Just Transition Theory, the thesis argues that while Sweden has made strong commitments to sustainability and human rights, the analysis reveals important procedural and structural shortcomings in Sweden’s permitting process, including the failure to completely implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). The study argues that current sustainability strategies risk reproducing colonial dynamics if Indigenous communities are treated merely as stakeholders or excluded from decision-making processes. It concludes by advocating for legally binding FPIC, Sámi co-governance in the environmental permitting process, and a redefinition of sustainability that fully incorporates cultural, distributive and recognition justice.