In the report "Just transition or 'green colonialism'" the human rights organization argues that the Sami people are particularly vulnerable in the climate crisis, as they are threatened from two sides simultaneously.
The temperature is rising almost four times faster north of the Arctic Circle than in the rest of the world, which poses a major threat to the indigenous people's living conditions.
At the same time, the green transition's demands for renewable energy and rare metals are increasing the pressure on the Sami people and their rights in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, according to Amnesty.
The report highlights three different Nordic cases where Sami claims have clashed with exploitation plans.
The Swedish example concerns the planned nickel mining at Rönnbäcken in Storuman Municipality, which has led to a prolonged conflict where the company Bluelake Minerals' mining plans are pitted against reindeer herding in Vapsten Sami village.
There, Amnesty believes that Swedish decision-makers have not taken sufficient account of the principle of free and informed prior consent, FPIC.
The principle gives indigenous peoples the right to influence and consultation over decisions that affect them. However, there are loopholes in Swedish legislation that give decision-makers room to override Sami objections, which, according to Amnesty, contravenes the UN's Indigenous Peoples' Declaration, which Sweden has committed to following.
