We have the solutions to transition to 100% renewable energy, but HOW we transition is key. We want energy systems that put people at the centre, promoting decentralised community owned and consulted projects.
We have gathered success stories from around the world through our project, ‘Sunshine Stories’ demonstrating the positive impact renewables are having on lives and communities all over the world. For more information on why we have chosen these projects you can read our criteria for the Sunshine Stories here.
The stories are captured on our database which you can access here in full and which you can explore based on region.
Would you like to submit your stories? Please fill out this form and reach out to the team at poa@climatenetwork.org for any inquiries.
Projects we want to spotlight:
Sunshine Story Webinar: Indigenous-Led Energy Transition Across Turtle Island, in collaboration with CAN – RAC Canada and Sacred Earth Solar
Sunshine Stories are a project facilitated by CAN International and its nodes and partners to demonstrate the impact renewables have on people’s lives and wider communities. To demonstrate further what we mean when we call for the just and equitable transition to 100% renewable energy.
May, 2024
CAN International hosted its first Sunshine Story Webinar: Indigenous-Led Energy Transition Across Turtle Island, in collaboration with CAN – RAC Canada and Sacred Earth Solar. You can watch the full webinar on our YouTube Channel here [LNIK]
Sacred Earth Solar’s and the indigenous communities’ they have worked with stories’ demonstrate the importance of centring decolonisation work in the energy transition. They contextualise the personal experience, demonstrating the historic violence committed by both the state and corporations. The work Sacred Earth Solar does emphasises the importance of understanding the complexity of achieving a just and equitable transition.
In so called Canada, indigenous communities are the largest asset owners of clean energy after utilities. The energy transition in the region has been led by indigenous communities, through centring their voices we can better understand how they have achieved this, where they have struggled and where they have succeeded.
Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Founder & Executive Director of Sacred Earth Solar, spoke on the impact that logging, tar, and fossil fuel extraction has impacted where she is from, in addition to the violence and cultural erasure of mission schools and the mass graves uncovered alongside them. It is this colonial landscape against which the just and equitable transition is being fought for. The indigenous experience and the violence felt has been invisibilized, therefore acknowledging this ecological and cultural genocide is central to decolonising the energy transition.
These projects bring energy sovereignty, healing Justice, capacity building, land protection, and healing to their Nations and across the Country. Sacred Earth Solar is an indigenous woman led organisation that empowers and supports communities who are looking to implement climate solutions. As well as healing justice within their communities, their lands and environments, Sacred Earth Solar is now working on its eighth project alongside community members and have four different program streams they focus on.
You can explore this in more depth on their Just Transition Guide [LINK]
Sacred Earth Solar’s holistic approach centres healing justice and forefronting community involvement in each project, ensuring real sustainability and longevity to the projects. Going far beyond lowering emissions but building healthy communities, with access to their culture and ceremony. Their intersectional approach is unique and ensures communities are the ones leading the projects.
Case study – Piitapan Solar Project
Case study – Sour Springs Longhouse
Case study – Solarisation of the Art Studio at Nimkii Aazhibikong
You can read more about this project and the other work Sacred Earth Solar has carried out on their website. [LINK]
You can watch our webinar in full on YouTube [LINK]