Calling for a More Human Approach to Renewables to Boost Social Support

• by OEGA
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Continuing the work of the Wind Energy Observatory of Galicia, which has deployed all its resources to advocate for greater involvement of rural communities in energy transition processes, we took part in the audiovisual dialogue titled “Humanizing Renewables.” This conversation brought together humanist perspectives on the roll-out of renewable energy across different territories. It featured the voices of writer, editor, and translator Anna Punsoda in Catalonia; artist, poet, actor, and cultural manager Lucía Camón in Aragón; and the director of the Observatory, Xavier Simón, speaking for Galicia.

These videos form part of the project “Renewables with the Territory: A Shared Vision,” led by the Spanish Network for Sustainable Development (REDS-SDSN Spain). The project’s roadmap was embodied in a catalogue of 50 actions aimed at guiding public administrations, companies, and sector stakeholders to ensure that the energy transition is environmentally sustainable and beneficial to local communities, while also encouraging social participation and respecting the cultural and natural heritage of each territory.

During the open dialogue, participants identified a series of good practices that are essential to incorporate into energy transition models. Among them, we highlight the following:

• Early involvement of local communities to influence projects (such as the location of the wind farm, evacuation lines, and environmental precautions)
• Opening up opportunities for citizens to invest in the project
• Shared use of land occupied by renewable plants with existing activities or other energy sources
• Promotion of local employment in renewable plants or associated industrial facilities.
• Providing cheaper energy to local businesses, communities, and vulnerable individuals
• Avoiding, at all costs, the installation of renewable energy infrastructure in protected or environmentally sensitive areas.
• Avoiding the use of compulsory land expropriation

The consideration and implementation of these good practices are essential for people living in the affected areas to perceive these projects as something positive for their own communities — beyond their global environmental and economic benefits.

If you’d like, you can watch the full video and clips from the three featured voices on the REDS-SDSN Spain YouTube channel by clicking here.

To explore the roadmap for “Renewables with the Territory: A Shared Vision,” you can access it here.