In collaboration with Peoples’ 20, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and Growthwatch organised a workshop on advancing community ownership in renewable energy in July 2023 in Bhopal, India. Grassroots and Indigenous Peoples' organisations, researchers, and activists from the Eastern and Central part of India gathered for three days of deliberation on the social and environmental impacts of fossil fuels, including coal and thermal power plants, and the renewable energy value chain, including mining for transition minerals, hydropower plants, and solar, wind and biofuel projects. At the end of the three-day discussion, participants created a set of recommendations for world leaders and officials to consider during the G20 Summit in September in New Delhi. These were also discussed at the Peoples' 20 summit in New Delhi in August 2023.

3 priority asks to G20 leaders from Peoples’ 20:

• Community ownership: All G20 Governments should acknowledge the importance of community ownership of renewable energy projects for the future of the just transition, and ensure support for and increase in community-led renewable energy projects, with community equity share at a ratio of 50:50 and above
• Human rights and environmental due diligence law: All G20 governments should enact mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence legislation for companies that obliges them to assess and address their human rights responsibilities and risks: companies should communicate on this, and if companies do not conduct such due diligence, they should be held liable under civil law
• Indigenous Peoples' voices: All G20 governments should ensure both National Action Plans and Net Zero plans should reflect concerns of those on the ground working to protect land and forests and Indigenous communities and these processes should be made accessible to communities who should be involved in the drafting and decision making of these plans: we demand stronger community representation in the decision-making on climate finance and more funding for community-led and community owned renewable energy projects

Signatories further outlined detailed asks to the G20 leaders and the Indian Government in particular, with a central focus on Indigenous Peoples' rights in the energy transition, transparency and participation in decision-making and oversight, remedy for abuse, climate measures and protection for human rights defenders.

Read the full statement