For my experience, I participated in their “Yukon Exploration” program which was mostly centered at the Kluane Lake Research Station located just outside of Kluane National Park. To argue that spending five days at a research station set amidst one of the most serene landscapes I’ve ever seen was merely transformational, does not capture the full magnitude of this experience. Kluane National Park houses the largest nonpolar icefields in the world and acts as a global hub for researchers exploring topics connected to climate change, sustainability, reconciliation, and conservation to name a portion of the prevalent issues studied at the station. During our time at the research station we had the chance to learn directly from climate science researchers, hear from Parks Canada conservation and management staff, spend time with local Indigenous communities, and hike throughout the park. From my perspective, the goal of this experience was to expose youth participants to the interconnectedness of social and ecological problems our world faces, and to help build a foundation for change based on traditional Indigenous Ways of Knowing and scientific research methodology. My trip’s educational programming was, of course, combined with breathtakingly bright night skies, campfires, group bonding activities, and daily cold plunges in the frigid glacier-filled lake.

When I look to unravel this experience, a few core takeaways stand out to me. Shortly after we arrived at the research station, instructors told us about the Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the area, informed us that we were expected to bring bear spray with us at all times, and to always let someone know where we were going. This protocol was met with a noticeable level of anxiety from the group, as many of us had spent most of our lives living in areas where the local predator population had been eradicated. It wasn’t until we spent time with local Indigenous Elders that my perspective surrounding bears–or humans’ interconnection to the natural world more broadly–was forever changed. 

Wilderness right outside of Ryan’s bunk, a spoon carved from a moose antler, Ryan’s hand placed next to a Grizzly paw print in the sand.

Through conversations with the Indigenous Elders, I became aware of how disconnected I have been from a vibrant and intact ecosystem, and the feeling of humility and awareness that comes from it. Growing up I played in forests filled with deer, raccoons, coyotes, and squirrels thinking that was normal. What escaped me was that during my grandfather’s childhood he would play in those same forests, where then there were moose, wolves, and bears that he could have encountered. 

I feel personally fortunate to have gotten to learn from Indigenous Elders who share ancestors with those who have spent thousands of years coexisting with the animals around them, while granting them the respect, awareness, and protection they deserve. My experience leaves me wanting to help shape communities towards a healthier connection with the natural world. Humanity exists inseparably within nature; our species is not above nor separate from it. We are meant to walk alongside the natural world rather than trample through it.

I was also quite shocked to see the landscape-altering effects of a glacier that no longer feeds into Kluane Lake, and wondered what was happening to this pristine watershed. Being on the outskirts of the largest nonpolar ice deposit in the world has a way of inspiring conversations about the impacts of climate change by default, but Kluane Lake is Yukon’s largest lake and the glacier that was its main feed source is now being diverted to Alaska. Each day as I would gaze across the lake I could see the sediment blow around, left over from the dried-up riverbed, leaving me to wonder what would happen to the watershed if the glacier didn’t divert back. Although this change carries a negative connotation for many who have observed the phenomenon, we received a glimmer of hope from James Allen, former Chief of the Champaign & Aishihik people. When we were visiting the ‘Shakat Tun Wilderness Camp’, a trapline owned by the Allen family for countless generations, James told us the story of the same thing happening 400 years ago and reminded us to always have humility when it came to our relationship with Mother Earth. This experience connected me to the pulse of an ancient landscape and taught me how my preconceived ideas of what is ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ in an area is often restricted by the shallow understanding afforded by the relative shortness of my own life. I was grateful to learn from James and his family, and be reminded to always seek Indigenous knowledge when addressing environmental and social issues affecting a region and population.

Participating in Howl and having the opportunity to travel to the Yukon- a place at the forefront of social and environmental research, rich in Indigenous culture, and full of serene landscapes- deeply transformed my personal and professional life. When we were in Whitehorse, we visited the Yukon University and heard from the Climate, Conservation, and Energy Research Labs on the incredible projects they are working on. Combined with my experience at the Kluane Lake Research Station, my conversation with Paul McCarney, a Research Professional for the Northern Systems Conservation Co-Lab and Natural Resources Director for the Vuntut Gwitchin Government, inspired me to pursue a master’s and build a career working with remote communities in Northern Canada to help address some of the social and environmental these regions are experiencing. Over the coming months, Paul’s support has transformed my personal and professional goals and has opened my eyes to the intersections of social science, natural science, and local and Traditional Knowledge. For everything he has done and continues to do for me, I owe him a world of thanks.

Canada’s youthful generations have some monumental problems to address, and I believe that it is only through a deep respect for the interconnectedness of humans and our home that we can begin to solve them. Fortunately, Indigenous communities across the world are leaders in this space and through reconciliation, humility, and awareness, I believe we are well on our way!

Ryan Sojnocki has been a Fellowship Program Coordinator at Student Energy for over two years. Before joining the organization, he helped coach and mentor early-stage social ventures at the University of Waterloo, and has carried that passion into his role working with youth around the world to help build successful energy projects in their targeted region. When he’s not working, you can often find Ryan immersed in the backcountry of British Columbia or deep in a philosophical conversation about the many intricacies of being human.

Welcome to Energy 101! In this series, we bring you nuanced and concise perspectives on significant energy and climate topics around the world. Today, we are featuring the topic of Nature-based Solutions! Now, let’s feel the earth between our fingers and dig in…

Nature-based Solutions and Earth Month

April is Earth Month, a time to pay special attention to the constantly evolving needs of our planet, and to reflect on how human activity is irrevocably altering the Earth’s natural systems. Considering the always-increasing awareness of human intervention in nature, nature-based solutions (NbS) are poised to become a dominant topic in the global energy discussion as at-risk communities continue to struggle with the worsening effects of climate change. 

It’s important that we understand how major polluters and other interested groups can take advantage of the language of NbS through ‘greenwashing’. This term refers to the use of the aesthetics, language, or trends of nature-based solutions, and its associated positive reputation, to promote projects that lack transparency, or could even have direct negative effects on local communities. 

Let’s dive in!

In this post, we’ll  introduce you to Nature-based Solutions as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world’s foremost voice on NbS, explain why human rights are an essential component of the NbS philosophy, and finally study a very negative case of what can go wrong when “greenwashing” goes too far.

What are Nature-based Solutions?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a Nature-based Solution as:

Nature-based Solutions address societal challenges through actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting people and nature at the same time.  

They target major challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, biodiversity loss and human health, and are critical to sustainable development.

The IUCN outlines five major approaches to Nature-based Solutions: Protection, Restoration, Management, Infrastructure, and Issue-Specific NbS. Earlier in April, we shared a summary of each of these types of projects with a relevant case study example from the Nature-based Solutions Initiative’s NbS Case Study platform. Check out the post here and get to know the different forms a NbS project can take! 

You may find that there seems to be a lot of overlap between the various approaches – this is true! An ecosystem restoration project will undoubtedly transition into a management or protection project at some point in its life-cycle. In addition, nature-based solutions are often lauded for their versatility, a core component of the NbS philosophy. In order to be a true Nature-based Solution, according to the IUCN’s “Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions,” a project must benefit the socio-economic wellbeing of local communities as well as the natural environment. Here’s why…

Rooted in Human Rights

In a recent blog article for the IUCN, International Law and Human Rights Expert Dr. Sener Dalyan outlines the importance of a human rights-centred approach to NbS. As part of this process, Dalyan explores the IUCN Global Standard’s 8 criteria which “provides a robust framework for designing, implementing, evaluating, adapting and improving NbS.” 

Five of the eight criteria is directly related to human rights, as well as over half of the Standard’s 28 indicators used to gauge the success and sustainability of Nbs. We have collected a summary of each criteria below so you can form a quick idea of what should be required of any NbS project. All of this to say that human rights are an essential component of what makes a project a true NbS.

“Criterion 5 requires NbS to be based on inclusive, transparent, and empowering governance processes. It is only through such a process that the concerns of a wide range of stakeholders, in particular rights holders, can be heard and addressed. A well-functioning feedback and grievance mechanism with robust rules and procedures is an important means in ensuring that NbS provides expected human well-being and biodiversity benefits, and the rights are respected.” Dr. Sener Dalyan, 2024

Now that we know what it takes to build a successful nature-based solution, what does it look like when a nature-based solutions project does not centre the needs and rights of local human populations?

Greenwashing and “Blood Carbon”

In late 2023, CounterPunch reporter Alexandria Shaner published an article titled “Blood Carbon: Kenyans are Being Erased so the UAE can Greenwash.” She begins by drawing a comparison between the historically well-publicized phenomenon of “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds.” The metaphor is apt and striking!

Shaner understands that this process is occurring anew as an unintended consequence of the rapidly expanding Carbon Market. Through the Carbon Market, governments and corporations are incentivized to engage in carbon capture, removal, and sequestration projects with the reward of huge profits and positive PR for acting “sustainably.” The ongoing eviction and expulsion of Indigenous Kenyan’s from their country’s forests is a clear example of how chasing carbon metrics for profit, without considering the impact on human rights, can have disastrous consequences.

In summary, the government of the United Arab Emirates (a global petrostate) recently invested over $450 million USD with the help of a US consultancy firm, into African emissions mitigation projects. By investing in carbon projects like these, the UAE is able to “greenwash” the negative effects of its massive investment in crude oil. “Greenwashing” is a well-discussed term referring to the use of creative accounting and marketing techniques to obscure the negative ecological impacts of a certain corporation, organization, or government by over-amplifying the positive effects of various eco-investments that a group may be involved in. Many of the IUCN’s criteria for NbS are designed to make sure this doesn’t happen!

One stipulation of the UAE’s deal with Kenya’s government is a reduction of emissions from the country’s forested areas. As a result, Kenya’s President Ruto ordered the mass eviction of tens of thousands of Indigenous Kenyans from these regions thinking it could protect their forests from encroachment. 

Shaner also points out that several of the organizations behind these types of projects, like the UAE-based Blue Carbon, are often run by people with connections to the government or the oil industry who lack vital experience in managing ecosystem projects and exhibit little genuine interest in protecting local ecosystems and consulting with local communities where these projects will take place. The treatment of Indigenous Kenyans at the behest of UAE petrocorps, in the name of “sustainability” should keenly illustrate why preserving human rights is an essential component of any successful nature-based solution.

What’s Next?

Now that we have a better understanding of what makes a successful (and unsuccessful) nature-based solution, where do we go from here? With all of this month’s focus on our planet Earth, we thought it might also be useful to look outwards for an even greater insight into the relationship between humans, their land, and the energy we all need to survive. For this, we have to take a little trip… to the planet of Arrakis!

Next up: Energy 101’s pop-culture connection to nature-based solutions, energy, and DUNE!

Follow us for more Energy 101s!

Are you curious about certain topics and want Student Energy to dissect them into Energy 101? Please let us know what you would like to see featured in future posts by following @studentenergy and getting in touch at info@studentenergy.org

Student Energy’s Shakti Ramkumar, Senior Director of Policy and Communications, had a conversation with Chris Palliser, host of The SolarPVcast podcast by Shift Energy Group in a podcast episode “Empowering Future Leaders: Student Energy’s Impact on Sustainable Energy Transition” published August 4 on Spotify and YouTube. The conversation delves into how Student Energy, a global, youth-led non-profit organization, is empowering young people to become leaders accelerating the transition to a just and equitable energy future.

The conversation begins with the humble beginnings of Student Energy – how a team of three students (Janice Tran, Kali Taylor, and Sean Collins) in Calgary back in 2009 managed to build the world’s largest organization working on energy with a network of 50,000+ global youth 14 years later. Starting with the first International Student Energy Summit, the founders successfully brought together 350 young people from over 30 countries to gather in Calgary and provide a space for collaboration alongside world leaders and energy experts. And so, Student Energy was born as a non-profit with a mission to empower aspiring young leaders to take an active part in a just energy transition.

Shakti shares the organization’s many initiatives, including the impact of Student Energy’s programs ecosystem engaging thousands of global young people in building the skills, education, training, and project development experience to empower them in tackling various energy, climate, and equity issues both at a local and global level. In particular, Shakti talked about Student Energy’s Guided Projects program, with the first cohort installing solar PV projects within their local communities in varying contexts. A pre-pilot solar PV project was successfully installed by students at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Alberta before the official cohort launch. Led by students Jack Harding and Ethan Buchanan, power generated from the solar array is now being sold to the University, and the students are using the proceeds to fund their Chapter’s work. Since then, the Guided Projects program brought on six teams from all over the world as part of the first cohort. Two of these solar projects are now successfully installed – the Shames Mountain team providing power for a community-owned ski hill in Northwestern BC, and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) team’s project aiming to electrify Gachororo Primary School in their community in Juja, Kenya.

At the core of Student Energy’s work is education. The aim is to demystify the energy system by leveling the playing field on who gets to understand the energy system by simplifying technical jargon, making energy education accessible to anyone, and empowering people to feel comfortable explaining the energy system. The Energy System Map, the Energy 101 series on Student Energy’s social media platforms, and energy education videos on Student Energy’s YouTube channels are the many ways the organization shares educational resources so anyone can be empowered to learn about the energy system.

Listen to the full podcast on Spotify and watch the full episode on YouTube!

Spotify

YouTube