EU development cooperation in support of access to energy in developing countries

Text as a whole without the words: ‘believes that the principle of free, prior and informed consent for affected communities is a precondition for a successful green and just energy transition;’

Text as a whole without the words: ‘(b) seek free, prior and informed consent from the local communities, while guaranteeing their right to say no, and their rights to justice, redress and compensation or remuneration;’

‘Notes that for some large-scale green energy projects (such as wind and solar power), like those being set up in dryland areas, for example, adequate consultation with the customary land users (such as pastoralists) is essential; recalls that traditional communal rights have a rather weak legal status and are often not implemented, which can potentially increase the risk of land grabbing; calls, against this backdrop, for the EU and its partner countries to recognise and protect indigenous people’s rights’

‘to customary ownership and control of their lands and natural resources, as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and International Labour Organization Convention 169, and to comply with the principle of free, prior and informed consent;’

‘Highlights the potential risks of water grabbing and water pollution associated with foreign direct investments in large-scale land acquisitions for renewable energy;’

‘Insists that green hydrogen strategies must follow strong social and sustainability standards; calls for the EU to establish appropriate monitoring frameworks in its partnership agreements that allow for the assessment of their broader impact on SDG performance, notably by identifying environmental, social and governance indicators and setting measurable targets;’

‘calls for mandatory environmental impact studies to be conducted, including for desalination, and for biodiversity hotspots to be excluded as sites for green hydrogen facilities; believes that green hydrogen production should demonstrate reliance on materials sourced under environmental and human rights standards for extractive activities (for instance, from countries that are signatories to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative);’

Text as a whole without the words: ‘providing effective complaint and redress mechanisms, in compliance with international standards of responsible business practices,’ (in point e)

Text as a whole without the words: ‘whereas, however, large-scale hydropower projects are associated with negative social and environmental impacts ranging from the displacement of vulnerable human populations to the destruction of unique biodiversity;’ and ‘of climate change, which will dramatically increase the frequency of floods and droughts on the rivers where hydropower projects operate,’