The Sami Parliament in Norway, which represents the indigenous Sami people, also known as Lapps in English, has convinced the second largest pension fund of the country, the public sector sign, to divest from companies linked to the controversial Dakota Access pipeline project. This act aims to express solidarity to Native Americans, led by Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their fight against the pipeline. The so called “water protectors” and their allies, among whom several groups of veterans, organized for months peaceful protests and actions of civil disobedience to attempt to halt the construction of the pipeline.
KLP announced on March 17th the decision to sell shares worth almost $70 millions from four companies (Energy Transfer Partners, Enbridge Energy Partners, Phillips 66 and Marathon Petroleum) involved in the construction of the pipeline, “due to an unacceptable risk of contributing to serious or systematic human rights violations”.
This decision came after a U.N. report criticized the United States government over its handling of the project, saying that the approval of the Dakota access pipeline was granted “without an adequate social, cultural or environmental assessment” and in “the absence of meaningful consultation or participation by the tribes”.
