A recent climate initiative by the Norwegian government is facing opposition from the indigenous peoples of Sami, whose territory is directly affected. The proposed 54km power line will be built by Equinor, the state-owned energy company in the country’s northernmost, far higher than the Arctic Circle. Saami believes that because power lines may affect traditional reindeer grazing, they violate their right to cultural protection and healthy environments under international and domestic laws. At least one group of herders plans to take legal action.
Grazing is a key practice for Saami: it is crucial for their traditions and livelihoods. Reindeer is the main source of meat for Saami, which uses antlers for traditional hand-made and fur. Power cords may affect reindeer grazing because animals avoid space with extensive infrastructure. The project may interfere with the reindeer migration route as earlier ones. Although their population has been spliced by national borders, contemporary Sammy considers herself a group of people. They are semi-nominated, depending on the season and the state of the pasture, transferring among the cattle.
There is an imbalanced dynamics history between Saami and the Norwegian government, and their relationship is tense due to the government construction of indigenous lands. For example, the Alta conflict in the 1970s involved a Norwegian initiative that planned to build dams on the Alta River, potentially flooding the village of Saami. In 2010, Norway built a wind farm on Saami land, affecting grazing sites to tame and undermine the maintenance of Saami cultural practices. Due to the noise caused during construction and the noise of the windmill blades throwing ice during operation, the wind farm may greatly interfere with grazing. In March 2024, the Norwegian government compensated Sami for $473,000 in settlements, dedicated to cultural conservation, only three years after the Norwegian Supreme Court declared the wind farm permit invalid.
The proposed Equinor Power Line is the latest point of debate between Saami and the Norwegian government. The power line is designed to help Norway meet its climate target to reduce its overall CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030, while 1990 levels reduce it by 55%. It can operate its turbines by allowing Hammerfest liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant, the largest LNG production plant in Western Europe, to use renewable energy instead of burning natural gas. The plant’s natural gas exports could generate enough electricity to supply 6.5 million homes. Furthermore, the proposed power line plan is intended to bring other benefits to the country by creating new work.
The precedent of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is related to violations caused by projects established on indigenous lands. The concept forms part of the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169, ratified in 1989, which ensures that all entities, including governments and international organizations, consult indigenous groups when they want to engage in activities on the land.
The Norwegian government claims to follow the FPIC through its plan, but it may not be the case. Norway was one of the earliest countries to approve ILO 169, which stipulates the definition of FPIC. However, in some cases, FPIC is not fully implemented. For example, after the implementation of the Advisory Act in June 2021, the Norwegian Court announced in October 2021 that the Norwegian government did not follow the FPIC when it established the power plant in Fosen Peninsula.
“These shortcomings are addressed,” said Maria Antonia Tigre, legal scholar and head of global climate litigation at the Sabin Climate Change Center. [of the FPIC claims]FPIC enforceability must be enhanced through binding international agreements and ensure its implementation in the domestic legal framework. ”
Norwegian Deputy Energy Minister Elisabeth Saether said last year that power line construction was in line with another international agreement of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the 1966 International Compact on Civil and Political Rights, which said that no activity carried out should violate the cultural practices of indigenous peoples. The impact of Powerline, she believes, is “not a big obstacle to herders’ failure to practice their culture.”
However, the power plant is located in the area where reindeer use. Reindeer may avoid the area, affecting its migration movement and pose risks, if the cattle may need to be near glaciers near this part of the Norwegian Finland province, the recent melting increases flow and causes flooding. These conditions make the soil more marsh and place the reindeer at risk of hoof disease, which can be fatal.
Finnish researcher Tero Mustonen focused on the Saami people, reiterating that this group is weak when it comes to making treaties. “We don’t really see land use situations or ‘transactions’, and in most cases the Sami community or people will be able to achieve their full FPIC, but the land use pressures in Sápmi – honing, wind energy accumulation, tourism and hydrogen economy – mature.”
The Sami people are already disproportionately affected by climate change. Arctic Warming is about twice as fast as the rest of the world. Sammy in turn faces unpredictable snow conditions. In winter, rainfall is increasingly occurring in the Sapumia region, rather than a consistent snowfall pattern. The rainfall on the snow usually forms a layer of ice. The reindeer cannot break this layer of ice to reach the lichen, which is one of their main foods. This directly affects the greatest source of nourishment and cultural protection of the Sami people.
Indigenous communities living in affected lands are often not consulted as governments around the world seek to follow climate initiatives at all costs. Even if an agreement is reached, the needs of indigenous communities are rarely met. As Tigre said: “This question is not only about justice for indigenous communities, but also about the protection of critical ecosystems and cultural heritage in the face of accelerating climate change.”
As of April 2025, construction of Norwegian power lines has been suspended due to legal boundaries. The Sami Parliamentary Committee has sought authorization to take legal action against electrification projects on the grounds of its impact on reindeer grazing and Sami cultural practices. The Norwegian government has not issued a final ruling, which makes the future of the project uncertain.
While the project aims to reduce carbon emissions by providing renewable energy to the Hammerfest LNG plant, it also poses a significant risk to SaaMi’s traditional livelihoods. The outcome of this case may be a precedent for how the state can balance climate initiatives with the rights of indigenous communities.
