Fairness on the scale: the Kuusamo wind power and mining plans as regional sustainability disputes in law, media and opinions

Abstract

Fair land use is one of the key issues for a just sustainability transformation. Minerals and wind power are necessary for transforming the energy system carbon neutral, but at local level both mines and wind power are controversial. Disputes arise from historical path dependencies, power relations and expectations of the benefits and drawbacks. Society regulates the use of land and the location of industries through planning processes, which should balance the benefits and disadvantages. In this article, we look at land use disputes in Kuusamo and Posio. We highlight the different actors' legal rights and perceptions of fairness in relation to land use and consider how existing disputes could be resolved in a more equitable way and how future disputes could be prevented. We examine legal cases related to wind power and mining plans in Kuusamo area, articles in regional and local newspapers and interviews with local actors. The results highlight the need for a multidimensional societal development that identifies and brings together different temporal, spatial and functional scales of sustainability. This requires legislation that better supports the different dimensions of equity, a constructive, multi-voiced public debate and a reconciliation of the aspirations and values of different actors in policymaking.