ID: 2193
Presenting Author: Justin Page
Session: 550 - (Re)building trust and transparency to navigate complex energy transitions
Status: pending
Community-led nuclear decommissioning assessments by two Indigenous Nations explore whether participation without shared control can build trust and transparency in the energy transition
As countries seek to decarbonize, nuclear energy is re-emerging as a pillar of the clean energy transition—but also as one of its most contested. Issues of trust and transparency are especially critical for Indigenous communities, who have often borne the real and perceived risks of nuclear development without meaningful influence over decisions. In this context, credible, participatory approaches are essential for building trust.
This presentation examines how community-led alternatives means assessments, conducted from 2020 to 2023, enabled the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation and Sagkeeng Anicinabe First Nation to build transparency and shared understanding in evaluating decommissioning options for two retired nuclear research reactors in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. Supported by Firelight, both Nations designed evaluation frameworks grounded in their own values—such as stewardship, access to land, and care for future generations. Through facilitated workshops, participants developed guiding questions, transparent weighting and ranking, and plain-language scoring that made trade-offs visible and defensible.
The presentation highlights the value of community-based alternatives assessments in building trust and credibility. In place of proponent-led technocratic approaches, community-led processes center values and participation without sacrificing analytical rigour. These approaches offer models for credible, transparent evaluation of nuclear and other complex energy transition projects—and question whether trust can be built without truly sharing control.
Research Director at Firelight with 13 years’ experience leading Indigenous-led and regulatory impact assessments across Canada.
Coauthor 1: Alistair MacDonald