Self-determination and procedural justice in a Yukon climate planning partnership

Planning for community resilience and climate change requires new forms of engagement that are accountable to Indigenous peoples and the social and cultural upheavals associated with colonial harm. This thesis shows that climate governance requires partnerships and policy actions that reflect needs and priorities of communities in specific geographic, political, and cultural contexts. As a case study, it examines the development of the 2020 Our Clean Future (OCF) strategy by Government of Yukon and Indigenous partners. Through semi-structured interviews and document studies, the research applies a theoretical lens of procedural justice and self-determination to the OCF process. Outcomes from this research offer a set of policy cycle considerations and recommendations for future environmental planning partnerships that include taking a rights-based approach, increasing capacity for collaboration in multiple areas, stronger integration of culturally diverse ways of knowing and doing, and targeted urban Indigenous engagement. Findings suggest OCF can serve as a useful procedural policy tool that supports Indigenous self-determination if lessons learned from the process are carried forward in future environmental planning partnerships.