The EU-funded Green Deal and the Sustainability of a Local Reality: the Case of Western Spain

Abstract

Awareness of how the green transition may help people beyond just providing energy results in initiatives that benefit people’s livelihoods in several areas is critical for complying with sustainable development. This research project aims to determine the impacts on local people’s livelihoods and the three main sustainable dimensions of EU-funded green transition projects in rural areas in Western Spain. The case study to demonstrate so is the Francisco Pizarro solar plant, the largest in Europe. Climate change has had a negative impact on people’s livelihoods all over the world lately. Renewable energy projects are the ones to help keep them under control, eventually. The entire socioeconomic framework cannot be understood as separated from the green energy transition as shifts in the renewable energy system impact the economy. The methodology applied to develop this research is mainly qualitative, but there are also some quantitative inputs. Semi-structured research interviews and participant observation were carried out through the in-field internship to collect the required data. The results obtained from the data collected in the fieldwork demonstrate that the impact of this specific case study on local people’s livelihoods in rural areas in Western Spain depends mainly on local authorities. They are responsible for developing several social initiatives to improve local people’s livelihoods. They conclude that there is a lack of monitoring and policy initiatives from the regional government and the company to ensure that these macro renewable energy projects positively impact local people’s livelihoods as they are doing at the economic and environmental levels.