Balancing Transitions in the Arctic: Indigenous Perspectives on EU Green Policies and Europe’s Future

Europe is undergoing profound transformations driven by the European Green Deal, climate change adaptation imperatives, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and growing demand for energy and critical raw materials. While these transitions are central to Europe’s vision of a sustainable and secure future, they also generate uneven social, environmental, and political impacts. Indigenous communities—particularly the Sámi of the European Arctic—are among those most directly affected by land-use change, renewable energy expansion, mining, and large-scale infrastructure development.

This interdisciplinary workshop invites critical reflection on the intersections of EU climate and energy policies, Indigenous rights, and Arctic futures. It aims to examine not only how Europe’s green and geopolitical transitions reshape Indigenous territories and livelihoods, but also and most of all explores how Indigenous governance systems, legal claims, and knowledge challenge dominant models of sustainability and development.

The workshop indeed positions Indigenous rights and justice as central to Europe’s green transition, encouraging dialogue between scholars, Indigenous representatives, policy professionals, and civil society actors.

Key themes and questions include (but are not limited to):

• Justice, equity, and inclusion in EU climate, energy, and resource governance in the Arctic;
• Indigenous land rights, cultural landscapes, and environmental governance;
• Sámi experiences of renewable energy development, mining, and infrastructure expansion;
• Indigenous knowledge, participation, consultation, and representation in EU policymaking;
• Arctic geopolitics, security concerns, and pressures toward resource extraction.

Deadline for Abstracts: 23 March 2026
How to apply: Send a 250–300-word abstract + a short CV to Elena Kavvatha (eleni.kavvatha@uclouvain.be)

Organizing committee
Eleni Kavvatha, PhD Researcher, UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles
Amandine Orsini, Prof. UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles
François Thoreau, Associate Professor, University of Liège, Belgium