On Identity, Conflict and the Green Transition: The Case of Mega-infrastructure Projects

The fight against climate change has triggered various normative agendas to accelerate the green transition in particular in the field of energy production and distribution. The realization of such public interest goals by means of mega-infrastructure projects, such as windmills and extractive industries, however, has often met resistance from local stakeholders, including local communities or indigenous peoples. In spite of procedural guarantees for the latter to participate in formulating new legislation and to take part in the design, implementation and monitoring of such projects through various institutional(ized) mechanisms, substantively, divergence of interests is yet to be transcended. In this respect, socio-economic and environmental opposing interests are infused by underlying irreconcilable identities along the global-local spectrum. As a result, the negotiation towards a common agenda giving effect to the green transition trajectory becomes trapped by identity politics. This paper examines the conflicting identity arguments at play and proposes strategies in transforming them into negotiable interests grounded in a common humanity.