Executive summary

The accelerating impacts of climate change, the need to adapt to changing economic and political realities, and the recent energy crisis have made the green transition something that most Nordic citizens acknowledge. However, especially rural areas and their communities are at risk of being reduced to passive instruments of national green transition measures featuring heavy land-use. These conditions make it very difficult to create a sense of justness in green transitions, leading to growing sense of alienation and resentment and putting the national climate goals in danger. From this starting point, the case studies of the research project “Just Green Transition on Rural Areas: Local Benefits from Value Creation” set out to examine what kind of benefits would generate value from green transition measures in the direct impact zone of new energy projects. The case studies took place in three Nordic countries and six locations: in Northern Ostrobothnia and Northern Central Finland of Finland, involving wind power and land use planning; in Nord-Fron and Nord-Odal in Norway, involving both wind power and strategic sustainability work; and in Skive and Bornholm of Denmark, involving a hybrid mix of renewable energy sources in the context of industrial park development. 

The results of the “A Just Green Transition in rural areas: local benefits from value creation” project focus on the challenges and strategies related to nurturing social acceptance and a sense of justice during green energy transitions in Nordic rural areas. Top-down decision-making that neglects local needs leads to a feeling of powerlessness and resistance against renewable energy projects. To avoid that, the engagement process among local stakeholders should start early and involve different platforms to generate interest and strive for open and transparent communication. This is crucial because overly optimistic claims about local economic benefits easily leads to resentment. Local or regional ownership in new energy projects increases trust and fosters a connection to the project, potentially increasing experienced justness or even shaping a new identity for the area. However, determining the best form of local ownership for maximizing local benefits is not simple. Monetary gains gain most attention as quantifiable benefits, but investing in compensation schemes alone creates division and other problems in communities. Community building and participatory negotiation methods are ways to overcome this and make compensation schemes more equal. Furthermore, other factors such as environmental and social improvements could lead to a more long-term increase in well-being and sense of justice. It would be beneficial to have more means to visualize and analyse them. Similarly, environmental benefits seem less tangible, so linking them to broader narratives and development goals example via image-building and branding activities can make them more concrete. Local or regional ownership fosters a connection to the project and the area's development. Overall, achieving a sense of justice during green transitions depends on realistic expectations and a project's integration into local goals and identities.