Extensive land use change driven by the green transition is contributing to increased levels of conflict in the Nordic countries due to both social and environmental concerns.
Amidst the dramatic global decline in biodiversity, it is crucial that decisions involving infrastructure for carbon-free energy and related industries are based on holistic and just approaches to land use policy. Such approaches take into account loss of landscapes, biodiversity, and other “nature contributions to people” and support the legitimacy and democratization of the green transition.
This project will combine theories of legitimacy, justice, and pluralistic valuation of nature to develop a framework for just land use assessment that can be applied in the study of both completed and planned renewable energy projects and related processes(e.g. battery production and mining). We will explore how different concepts of justice (procedural, recognition, distributive, responsibility, capability) can be applied to balance tradeoffs between different interests and values to achieve land use justice and improve the legitimacy of green transitions. Further, we will address the shortcomings in the current impact assessment system, which tends to underappreciate non-utilitarian values. The framework will be applied to studies of ongoing and completed processes of land use change in relation to onshore wind projects and mining projects throughout Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. We will analyse the knowledge base used in the planning process in each of the cases, and evaluate the extent to which justice and value recognition have been taken into account. To further the theory and practice of land use justice, the project will also identify and test methods for conflict resolution within land use change processes..
JUSTGREEN will increase knowledge of how land use justice can be implemented and how burdens and benefits can be evenly distributed at various levels. To further the theory and practice of land use justice, the project will also identify and test methods for conflict resolution within land use change processes. It is crucial that land use planning itself, as well as associated research processes are meaningful for the participants and link directly to actual decision-making. The project seeks to ensure this by not only mapping the values, but also providing tools and “planting seeds” for conflict management processes between various actors.