The wind of unchange: Elle Eriksson, May-Britt Öhman, ‘Wind Power, the EU (Un)Green Deal, SDG7, and Environmentally Destructive Settler Colonialism in Indigenous Sámi Territories: Hällberget’, in Reetta Toivanen, Vladislava Vladimirova, Carl-Gösta Ojala (eds), Decolonizing the Sustainable Development Goals: Community Perspectives, Social Justice, and the Challenges of Pluralism, Springer, 2026, pp. 135-153

21Apr26

Abstract: The 2019 EU Green Deal and the 2015 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on sustainable energy, both strongly encourage investments in renewable energy sources, amongst others wind power. However, wind power is but the latest in a long line of encroachments on the Indigenous Sámi peoples’ territories, leading to environmental destruction and negative impacts on Sámi reindeer herding, livelihood, and wellbeing. From the nineteenth century, alongside increasing racism and discrimination, the Swedish state took control of Sámi lands. Today, due to their mobilization, the Sámi are recognized as a people within the Swedish constitution and as a national minority. Sámi reindeer herding territories are protected in Swedish legislation. Yet, wind power establishment is promoted by politicians and authorities at the expense of Sámi reindeer husbandry and the reindeer. Discussing the case of the planned wind power area at Hällberget within Váhtjer (Gällivare) Forest Sámi community, we argue that the EU Green Deal and SDG7 are in conflict with Swedish legislation, as well as core values of human, minority, and Indigenous rights, and that wind power is neither sustainable nor green, and a continuation of destructive settler colonial policies.