We can't simply swap one kind of energy for another without transforming the systems that go with them.

We need to bring a different mindset or we run the risk of repeating the mistakes of the past.

There’s three things we believe we need for the energy transition to be done well:

1. Genuine engagement and consent of First Nations
2. Our people being able to access to clean, affordable reliable power
3. We must resource our Traditional entities, our PBCs and our Nations, not just to respond to what is coming but to shape it and own it. We must continue to invest in and building the capacity and resourcing of communities and work towards First Nations ownership and economic development.

So, is it working? Are we seeing a shift in the engagement from proponents and impacts on the ground? Are we seeing projects really developed to benefit First Nations? And supported early engagement?

We would say very slowly. We have 16 projects on our First Nations project tracker that are First Nations-led with genuine engaging and equity involved. All of these projects highlight the need for and benefits of support for Traditional Owner entities and also that it can be done.

We still believe one of the best ways to shift this is government and industry working together with communities.

Canada has numerous government-led initiatives favourably impacting First Nations and the evidence there demonstrates the impact of structured partnerships and joint ventures.

And from the community side, they have done the work over two decades and it useful to briefly mention their three different phases:

• First was beginning with small local projects. Helping people understand the potential by experiencing it, like lower energy bills through renewable energy, then backed by policy change, legal recognition of rights and treaties, and the building of First Nations capacity.
• Second was national projects backed by government incentives but which included significant policy reform. The scale of the transition expanded as did government actively introducing measures to ensure First Nations participation, equity arrangements, procurement policies, feed in tariffs and other financial measures. And really key to this was the growing realisation amongst Indigenous communities across the country that clean energy projects sited on traditional territories represented a major economic opportunity.
• Third is the phase they’re in now, and this is expanding project scale including growing the size of project benefits to First Nations.

Last year First Nations were responsible for nearly 20% of Canada's existing renewable electricity-generating infrastructure, including major transmission infrastructure. There are now over 200 First Nations or joint venture projects. And we know that First Nations employ First Nations.

In Australia, emerging Government incentives include the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS). It will be good to see what comes from strengthened merit criteria around First Nations engagement and benefits, and we note this may be strengthened in following rounds and we welcome including options around revenue sharing and equity. 

The Future Made in Australia Act, providing again opportunities via the investment in industry to include specific First Nations resourcing including acknowledging First Nations as having rights and interests in addition to the community benefits.

And in addition to Hydrogen HeadStart and the Critical Minerals Strategy, there is the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy coming, developing a framework for all of this work and we are looking forward to it being resourced. 

It may seem like quite specific detail but from what we have learnt, we need to ensure these incentives and partnerships are resourced, and similarly there's a First Nations component of every framework developed, new legislation to enable to transition, and specific First Nations resourcing in all of the initiatives we development as government, industry and community we need specific First Nations elements.

We all know we have a lot of work to do. We also know that when it's done well, when best practice is followed, if it’s done right from the start, we will all see the difference.

It may feel too hard or complex but engage with us (it will be more complex if you don’t) and do it early. Relationships matter, your cultural understanding matters. Be prepared to do things differently and support our decision-making.

The results are appropriately located projects, less risk, more engaged communities, potential smoother approvals processes, stable investment environments, a local workforce, and a project that can generate benefits for generations.

And while we have been advocating for incentives and measures to back it in, we know industry can be doing a lot of this work now without waiting for Government. 

As the First Nations Clean Energy Network, we continue to come at this with a view to opportunity and we continue to lead with optimism and hope, but I think we all agree we have some serious work to do together to get it done!

This is an excerpt from a speech given by co-Chair of the First Nations Clean Energy Network, Karrina Nolan, at the Australian Clean Energy Summit 2024.