This report provides a summary of the Pembina Institute’s Renewables in Remote Communities (RiRC) conference held in Whitehorse from April 25th to 28th, 2022. The summary includes an overview of the seven key themes that emerged from the conference and the recommendations put forward in association with those themes. The report also lists examples of Indigenous-led, community-centred, projects as well as insights shared with and by participants to support the advancement of the clean energy transition in remote communities.
The Pembina Institute has hosted conferences on renewable energy in remote communities since 2003 for the purposes of bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders to discuss the reduction of diesel consumption and the integration of clean energy in remote communities’ energy systems.
In 2022, nearly 300 participants attended RiRC2022 held at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Center. RiRC2022 highlighted successful partnerships and opportunities for collaboration; youth and Indigenous leadership; climate and energy policies; and pathways for accelerating an Indigenous-led clean energy transition.
Conference topics included a progress update on the status of diesel reduction, presentations on community-led clean energy projects and partnerships, financial opportunities, and strategies for renewable energy development and the regulatory changes required for better costing structures. Roundtables were also held on ways to strengthen the business case for investing in renewables.
An overriding theme was the importance of social and economic reconciliation, and the significance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). UNDRIP is pivotal to navigating a successful transition to an equitable, clean energy economy in remote communities.
