The coexistence between the Sami People and the mining industry in Norrbotten, Sweden : The Case of H2 Green Steel

Abstract: Under the arctic circle in Boden, Sweden, H2 Green Steel, a carbon-neutral steel processing company, plans to build one of the most innovative sustainable steel mills in Europe. Boden is located in Norrbotten, the northernmost county in Sweden and home to the Sami people. The Indigenous group and one of Sweden's minorities have lived in this area for more than a thousand years. Their traditions like reindeer herding have survived to the present day. The Sami have suffered different injustices since establishing national borders, including those committed by the mining industry.  This thesis uses an ethnographical approach to examine the coexistence between the Sami People and the mining industry. David Schlosberg's Environmental Justice Theory is applied to identify and detect environmental justice principles in the case of H2 Green Steel. The goal of this study is to identify ways for both groups to coexist in a more sustainable manner. The study illustrates several views from different stakeholders. It shows that the mining industry has the potential to minimize injustice to the Sami community and to protect the environment through effective measures.